Galls in the Brazilian coastal vegetation

Abstract

Brazilian coastal vegetation comprises 480 insect gall morphotypes on 61 plant families and 243 plant species. Myrtaceae, Fabaceae, Asteraceae, and Melastomataceae show the greatest number of galled species and the greatest richness of insect gall morphotypes. The super host plant species are Mikania cf. biformis, Mikania cf. glomerata and Guapira opposita. These plant taxa are among the best represented in restinga ecosystem, suggesting the influence of the plant composition on gall diversity. The galls are induced by Diptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Thysanoptera and Hymenoptera, being the first responsible for the majority of the galls. The galls were found on leaf, bud, stem, flower, fruit, tendril, and aerial root. Leaves were the most attacked plant organ, followed by stems, and buds. A rich arthropods fauna has been associated with insect galls. Parasitoids are the most frequent and diversified. They are represented by 15 families of Hymenoptera, being Eulophidae, Eupelmidae, and Platygastridae the most frequent. The predators comprise gall midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and pseudoscorpions (Olpiidae). Inquilines are represented by six insect orders: Diptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, and Thysanoptera. They cause the galler's death, probably due to competition and modifications in the microenvironment provided by the gall. Diptera are the most frequent inquilines. Successors are represented by mites, springtails, booklices and ants. The majority of the insect records are presented at suprageneric categories, showing that the taxonomic of galling insects is still poorly studied.