Diversity of insect galls associated with coastal shrub vegetation in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Sheila P Carvalho-Fernandes,Valéria C Maia,Sharlene Ascendino,Márcia S Couri

doi:10.1590/0001-3765201620150658

Abstract

Surveys in the coastal sandy plains (restingas) of Rio de Janeiro have shown a great richness of galls. We investigated the galling insects in two preserved restingas areas of Rio de Janeiro state: Parque Estadual da Costa do Sol and Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Fazenda Caruara. The collections were done each two months, from June 2011 to May 2012. We investigated 38 points during 45 minutes each per collection. The galls were taken to the laboratory for rearing the insects. A total number of 151 insect galls were found in 82 plant species distributed into 34 botanic families. Most of the galls occurred on leaves and the plant families with the highest richness of galls were Myrtaceae and Fabaceae. All the six insect orders with galling species were found in this survey, where Cecidomyiidae (Diptera) was the main galler group. Hymenoptera and Thysanoptera were found as parasitoids and inquilines in 29 galls. The richness of galls in the surveyed areas reveals the importance of restinga for the composition and diversity of gall-inducing insect fauna.

Highlights

Galls are abnormal modifications in plant tissue induced by insects or mites (Raman 2007)
To the present contribution we investigated the galling insects associated with coastal shrub vegetation in two preserved areas of Rio de Janeiro state
A total number of 151 insect galls were found in 82 plant species distributed into 34 botanic families (Table SI, Figs. 2-121)

Summary

Introduction

Galls are abnormal modifications in plant tissue induced by insects or mites (Raman 2007). Six orders have been recorded by having gall-inducing species, Diptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, and Thysanoptera. The family Cecidomyiidae (Diptera) is the main taxa of galling insect within the arthropods (Gagné and Jaschhof 2014). Brazil shows a rich fauna of galling insects, but the taxonomic knowledge of them is poorly known. Most of the records are related to surveys in sandy coastal plains, called restinga (Maia 2001, Oliveira and Maia 2005, Maia and Oliveira 2010, Rodrigues et al 2014)

Methods

Results

Conclusion