Galling insects on caryocar brasiliense camb. (Caryocaraceae)

Abstract

Caryocar brasiliense is one of the most common and important plant species in the dry and harsh semi-arid vegetated areas of Brazil and is host to at least four galling species. In this chapter, I discuss the within-tree distribution of the four galling species. The gall inducers exhibit different distributions in the crown, and I discuss the influence of biotic and abiotic factors on these distributions. The distributions of the galls were also evaluated at the leaf and branch level. I present evidence of competition among galling insects on C. brasiliense.