INSECT GALLS AND ASSOCIATED FAUNA IN THE BRAZILIAN CERRADO

Abstract

Insect galls host a rich and diverse fauna of secondary dwellers, which compose the associated fauna. In Brazil, many inventories of insect galls in Cerrado areas have recorded secondary dwellers. These records were scattered in several papers. Maia & Silva (2021) gathered literature data to provide an overview of the arthropod fauna associated with insect galls in the Brazilian Cerrado. Since then, only one new inventory was published, so data were updated to include the new records, using the same text previously published. We found 176 gall morphotypes with secondary dwellers (18.1% of the total of gall morphotypes of the Brazilian Cerrado) on 99 plant species in 37 families. Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Myrtaceae, and Malpighiaceae exhibited the greatest number of records. These are the richest families in insect galls in the Brazilian Cerrado. Most arthropod fauna were recorded in galls of Cecidomyiidae (Diptera). Most records were in leaf galls, the predominant galled organ. Parasitoids were more frequent than successors, inquilines, and predators. Eulophidae and Eurytomidae were the most frequent parasitoid families. Inquilines were represented by Coleoptera, Diplopoda, Diptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Psocoptera, and Thysanoptera successors by Acari, Araneae, Cecidomyiidae (Diptera), Coleoptera, Collembola, and Formicidae (Hymenoptera), whereas predators by Araneae, Pseudoscorpiones and Diptera. Most records were presented in suprageneric categories, showing that the taxonomic knowledge is very deficient. 31 plant species are endemic to Brazil and totaled 48 gall morphotypes with secondary dwellers; 46 plant species are useful and host secondary dwellers in 65 gall morphotypes. These data add ecological and economic importance to these arthropods.