Abstract
Acacia mangium (Willd., 1806) (Fabales: Fabaceae) is a fast growing, rustic, pioneer species, with potential to fix nitrogen, and for programs to recover degraded areas. The objective was to evaluate the distribution and the functional diversity of interactions and the K-dominance of arthropod groups on A. mangium saplings. The number of individuals of eleven species of phytophagous insects, three bee species, and fourteen natural enemy species were highest on the adaxial leaf surface of this plant. Abundance, diversity and species richness of phytophagous insects and natural enemies, and abundance and species richness of pollinators were highest on the adaxial A. mangium leaf surface. The distribution of five species of sap-sucking hemipterans and six of protocooperating ants (Hymenoptera), with positive interaction between these groups, and three bee species (Hymenoptera) were aggregated on leaves of A. mangium saplings. Aethalion reticulatum (L.) (Hemiptera: Aethalionidae) and Bemisia sp. (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae); Brachymyrmex sp. and Camponotus sp. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae); and Trigona spinipes Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Apidae) were the most dominant phytophagous insects, natural enemies, and pollinators, respectively, on A. mangium leaves. Knowledge of preferred leaf surfaces could help integrated pest management programs.
Highlights
Acacia mangium (Willd.,1806) (Fabales: Fabaceae) is a fast growing, rustic pioneer species with potential for nitrification and high litter production (Caldeira et al, 2018; Eloy et al, 2018)
The objective of this research was to test the following hypotheses: i) the number of phytophagous insects and pollinators and their natural enemies or protocooperating ants will be higher on the adaxial leaf surface due to the lower effort required for movement, resulting in higher ecological indices of these groups; ii) the distribution of arthropods will be aggregated on the same host sapling, mainly of sap-sucking and protocooperating insects, protecting them against competitors and predators; and iii) the k-dominance of polyphagous insect pests or omnivorous insects will be greater on A. mangium saplings
The number of Sternorrhyncha predators, Dolichopodidae, T. collaris, and T. angustula was lower on the A. mangium leaves with high numbers of protocooperating ants and those of T. angustula and spiders lower on the A. mangium leaves with high numbers of T. spinipes and phytophagous Hemiptera (Table 3)
Summary
Acacia mangium (Willd.,1806) (Fabales: Fabaceae) is a fast growing, rustic pioneer species with potential for nitrification and high litter production (Caldeira et al, 2018; Eloy et al, 2018). The sap-sucking insect Aethalion reticulatum (L., 1767) (Hemiptera: Aethalionidae); the defoliating insects Periphoba hircia (Cramer, 1775) (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae), and Tropidacris collaris (Stoll, 1813) (Orthoptera: Romaleidae); the stem apex chewing insect Trigona spinipes (Fabr., 1793) (Hymenoptera: Apidae); and the wood-borer insect Oncideres ocularis (Thomson, 1868) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) damage A. mangium trees (Lemes et al, 2013; Parreira et al, 2014; Silva et al, 2015, 2020)
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Schedule a callMore From: Brazilian journal of biology = Revista brasleira de biologia
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