Insect galls from Serra de São José (Tiradentes, MG, Brazil)

Abstract

One hundred thirty-seven morphotypes of insect galls were found on 73 plant species (47 genera and 30 families) in Serra de São José, in Tiradentes, MG, Brazil. Fabaceae, Myrtaceae, Asteraceae, and Melastomataceae were the plant families that supported most of the galls (49.6% of the total). Galls were mostly found on leaves and stems (66.4% and 25.5%, respectively). Galls were induced by Diptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera (Sternorrhyncha), Hymenoptera, and Thysanoptera. The majority of them (73.7%) were induced by gall midges (Cecidomyiidae: Diptera). Besides the gall inducers, other insects found associated with the galls were parasitoids (Hymenoptera), inquilines (Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera, and Hemiptera), and predators (Diptera).

Gall-inducing insects of an Araucaria Forest in southern Brazil

“…This trend is uncommon for insect galls, which are usually reported to occur predominantly on leaves (DregerJauffret & Shorthouse 1992; Fernandes et al 1988;Maia & Fernandes 2004;Moreira et al 2007;Maia et al 2008). Only a few studies report more galls on stems (African savanna; Veldtman & McGeoch 2003) or stems and buds (rupestrian fields; Carneiro et al 2009b).…”

“…The two host plant families with more gall morphotypes, Myrtaceae and Asteraceae, figure as important taxa in other vegetation types in southern Brazil (Mendonça 2007;Mendonça et al 2010), and even in other ecosystems throughout Brazil, as the cerrado (Gonçalves-Alvim & Fernandes 2001), rupestrian fields (Maia & Fernandes 2004) and restinga coastal forests (Maia et al 2008). These two families are reported as very representative in the Araucaria forest, Myrtaceae among trees (Rambo 1956) and Asteraceae among non-arboreal species (Behling & Pillar 2007).…”

“…However, due to the concentration of taxonomists and research groups, most surveys were conducted at sites in southeastern Brazil, including areas under cerrado (e.g., Fernandes et al 1988;Gonçalves-Alvim & Fernandes 2001;UrsoGuimaraes & Scarelli-Santos 2006), Atlantic forest (e.g., Fernandes et al 2001;Moreira et al 2007) and specific ecosystems within these biomes (e.g., rupestrian fields, Maia & Fernandes 2004;Carneiro et al 2009b, andrestinga, Oliveira &Maia 2005;Maia et al 2008).…”

Senescent stem-galls in trees of Eremanthus erythropappus as a resource for arboreal ants

“…It is also a source of the essential oil ␣-bisabolol, which has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antimycotic properties, and is often harvested for dermatological use (Pedralli et al 2000). So far, scientists have identified seven different morphotypes of insect-induced leaf-and stem-galls occurring in E. erythropappus trees (Maia & Fernandes 2004;Carneiro et al 2009). …”

A new species of Schizomyia (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae, Asphondyliini) associated with Tetrapterys phlomoides (Malpighiaceae)

“…It includes 48 species, six of them are known in the Neotropical region, where they are associated with Convolvulaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Sapindaceae and Verbenaceae (GAGNÉ, 2004;MAIA & FERNANDES, 2005).…”