Insects and spiders on Acacia mangium (Fabaceae) saplings as bioindicators for the recovery of tropical degraded areas.

M A Soares,G L D Leite,J S Lima,P F S Guanabens,J L Silva,P G Lemes,M V S Mota,J C Zanuncio

doi:10.1590/1519-6984.252088

Abstract

Acacia mangium is a pioneer species with fast growth and frequently used in the recovery of degraded areas. The objectives were to evaluate insects and spiders, their ecological indices and interactions on A. mangium saplings in a tropical degraded area in recovering process. The experimental design was completely randomized with 24 replications, with treatments represented by the first and second years after A. mangium seedling planted. Numbers of leaves/branch, branches/sapling, and ground cover by A. mangium saplings, Hemiptera: Phenacoccus sp. and Pachycoris torridus; Hymenoptera: Tetragonisca angustula and Trigona spinipes, Brachymyrmex sp., Camponotus sp. and Cephalotes sp.; Blattodea: Nasutitermes sp. and Neuroptera: Chrysoperla sp.; abundance, species richness of pollinating insects, tending ants, and the abundance of Sternorrhyncha predators were greatest in the second year after planting. Numbers of Hemiptera: Aethalium reticulatum, Hymenoptera: Camponotus sp., Cephalotes sp., Polybia sp., T. angustula, T. spinipes, tending ants, pollinating insects, Sternorrhyncha predators and species richness of tending ants were highest on A. mangium saplings with greatest numbers of leaves or branches. The increase in the population of arthropods with ground cover by A. mangium saplings age increase indicates the positive impact by this plant on the recovery process of degraded areas.

Highlights

Human action usually degrades natural ecosystems, especially with agricultural systems management, necessary to maintain population and economic growth (García‐Orth and Martínez‐Ramos, 2011)
Abundance and species richness of pollinating insects, tending ants, and abundance of Sternorrhyncha predators were greater on A. mangium saplings in the second year
Numbers of A. reticulatum, Camponotus sp., Cephalotes sp., Polybia sp. (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), T. angustula, and T. spinipes were higher on A. mangium saplings with greatest numbers of leaves or branches

Summary

Introduction

Human action usually degrades natural ecosystems, especially with agricultural systems management, necessary to maintain population and economic growth (García‐Orth and Martínez‐Ramos, 2011) The recovery of these areas is essential but slow (Amaral et al, 2013; Reis et al, 2015). Acacia mangium wood is used to build furniture, cabinets, frames, doors and window components, boxes and crates and to produce coal, coal briquettes and activated carbon (Hegde et al, 2013) Insects such as Aethalion reticulatum (Linnaeus, 1767) (Hemiptera: Aethalionidae), Oncideres mirim (Martins and Galileo, 1996) and Oncideres ocularis (Thomson, 1868) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), and Trigona spinipes (Fabricius, 1793) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) can damage A. mangium trees (Lemes et al, 2012, 2013; Silva et al, 2015, 2020)

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