Abstract
Galls are remarkable parasite–plant interactions that develop in different organs. They are induced by various organisms which manipulate or reprogram plant development. Galls in dioecious species and their effects on the host plant are seldom described in the literature. This paper presents a novel study of galls in a dioecious plant of the neotropical region. Our study aimed to analyze gall development and describe morphological and metabolic changes in galled leaves caused by Cecidomyiidae (Diptera) in Clusia fluminensis (Clusiaceae), a dioecious plant from Brazilian restinga. We investigated male and female individuals to detect different responses and sex-biased interactions. The non-galled leaves of female and male individuals of C. fluminensis exhibited similar anatomical structures. Nevertheless, galls developed only in male individuals. The activity of the Cecidomyiidae led to several morphological and anatomical changes, such as the hypertrophy of the leaf blade, especially the chlorenchyma. Our results indicated an interesting exception for the pattern of storage of lipids and starch in Cecidomyiidae galls, and sex-biased development in a dioecious plant, with the variation of metabolic compounds, especially phenolics and flavonoids, which may inhibit gall development in female individuals.
Highlights
Clusiaceae species are widely distributed in the pantropical region, with several species found in different Brazilian ecosystems, notably in “restinga” habitats
We did not observe the development of galls in female individuals
This paper describes how galls affect the development and metabolism of phenolic compounds in a dioecious plant from Brazilian restinga
Summary
Clusiaceae species are widely distributed in the pantropical region, with several species found in different Brazilian ecosystems, notably in “restinga” habitats. The “restinga” habitats are alongside the Brazilian coast, distinguished by sandy coastal plains, with open vegetation of shrubs and low forests further inland [1,2]. In these habitats, several dominating species may be characterized by the abundance of individuals or the plant cover of a few taxa, such as Clusia [3,4,5]. Clusia fluminensis Planch and Triana (Clusiaceae) is an obligate CAM (crassulacean acid metabolism) species [10] and some of the most abundant species in the restingas of Rio de Janeiro This species exhibits dioecism, with male and female individuals in the shrub thickets of restingas [3]
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