Occurrence and Characterization of Entomogenic Galls in an Area of Cerrado Sensu Stricto and Gallery Forest of the State of Bahia, Brazil
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Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências (2018) 90(3): 2903-2919 (Annals of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences) Printed version ISSN 0001-3765 / Online version ISSN 1678-2690 http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/0001-3765201820170522 www.scielo.br/aabc | www.fb.com/aabcjournal Occurrence and characterization of entomogenic galls in an area of Cerrado sensu stricto and Gallery forest of the state of Bahia, Brazil APARECIDA RAVENE F. DA SILVA1, RAVENA M. NOGUEIRA2, ELAINE C. COSTA1,3, SHEILA P. CARVALHO-FERNANDES4 and JULIANA SANTOS-SILVA2 1Departamento de Ciências Humanas, Campus VI, Universidade do Estado da Bahia, Avenida Contorno, s/n, Centro, 46400-000 Caetité, BA, Brazil 2Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Vegetal, Departamento de Educação, Universidade do Estado da Bahia, Rua da Gangorra, 503, 48608-240 Paulo Afonso, BA, Brazil 3Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil 4Departamento de Entomologia, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista, s/n, São Cristóvão, 20940-040 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil Manuscript received on July 16, 2017; accepted for publication on March 7, 2018 ABSTRACT We surveyed insect galls in an area of Cerrado sensu stricto and Gallery forest in the municipality of Caetité (BA) to contribute to current knowledge of the local flora and its associated gall-inducing insects. Monthly collections were made between February/2015 and January/2016, totaling 12 field campaigns (involving two or three people and lasting four hours) that followed an established path through the countryside. A total of 63 gall morphotypes were identified on 47 host plant species belonging to 22 families; 17 morphotypes were found in the Gallery forest and 46 in Cerrado vegetation. The plant families showing the greatest gall richness were Leguminosae (n=15), Myrtaceae (n=9), and Asteraceae (n=7). The species with the greatest number of galls was Mimosa gemmulata Barneby (Leguminosae) (n=3). Most galls were observed on leaves (66%) and stems (24%); they were mostly green (49.3%) or brown (26%), with globoid shapes (39.7%) or marginal roll (17.4%), and were unilocular (87%), glabrous (62%) and isolated (89%). Cecidomyiidae (Diptera) were the principal gall-inducing insects. The associated fauna was principally composed of Hymenoptera. Eight plant taxa were recorded for the first time as hosts of galling fauna. Key words: Cecidomyiidae, plant-insect interactions, Leguminosae, semiarid. INTRODUCTION individuals, or they may benefit only one of the organisms involved – as is the case of parasitism Many insect species associate with plants (Price 1991). Insect parasites generally do not kill to increase their chances of survival. Those their host plant, although they may harm them by interactions between insect and their host plants feeding on vital organs (Begon et al. 2007). can be mutualistic, benefiting both of the associated Gall-inducing insects are excellent examples Correspondence to: Juliana Santos-Silva of parasites that induce morphological and E-mail: [email protected] anatomical alterations in plant tissues or organs An Acad Bras Cienc (2018) 90 (3) 2904 APARECIDA RAVENE F. DA SILVA et al. through processes of hyperplasia and hypertrophy Cerrado ecotones (Costa et al. 2014a, b, Nogueira (Mani 1964). These processes are stimulated by et al. 2016). mechanical or chemical factors originated from the In spite of recent progress, the knowledge on insects (Hori 1992), and can interfere with the flux the diversity and distribution of galls in Bahia State of the photosynthates and nutrients produced by is still relatively limited. Most sampling efforts those plants (Schoonhoven et al. 2005). have been concentrated in the southwestern region Galls, also known as cecidia, provide of the state, with studies in the Gallery forests protection for the immature stages of the inducing (Costa 2016), Cerrado (Costa 2016, Nogueira et insects against abiotic environmental factors such al. 2016), Caatinga (Santos et al. 2011, Carvalho- as sunlight excess and water stress as well against Fernandes et al. 2012, Costa 2016), and Caatinga- natural enemies (Stone and Schönrogge 2003). Cerrado transition zones (Costa et al. 2014a, b, Galls can occur on essentially all plant organs, Nogueira et al. 2016). Additionally, five new from the extremities of their roots to their apical records of species of Cecidomyiidae were recently buds, and both on vegetative and reproductive parts reported for that state (Maia 2014). In Caetité only – although they are more numerous and diversified three Cecidomyiidae species are known (Gagné on the aerial portions of the plants, especially on and Jaschhof 2017), Styraxdiplosis caetitensis leaves (Mani 1964, Maia 2013). Tavares, 1915 and Dialeria styracis Tavares, 1918 Studies on galls have increased expressively associated with undetermined species of Styrax in recent years in Brazil. Most of them regards (Styracaceae), and Anadiplosis caetetensis Tavares, inventories of gall diversity in different ecosystems 1920 in an undetermined species of Mimosoideae (e.g., Araújo et al. 2012, Costa et al. 2014a, (Leguminosae), now Mimosoid clade (LPWG b, Nogueira et al. 2016), while others have 2017). investigated ecological aspects of gall-inducing This situation is worrisome as the insects or described new species (e.g., Maia and biodiversity of Bahia is increasingly threatened by Souza 2007, Maia et al. 2010, Maia 2014), as deforestation for pasture formation, agriculture, well as the structural and ultrastructural natures of civil construction, and the illegal extraction of gall tissues (e.g., Arduin and Kraus 2001, Moura et al. 2009, Oliveira and Isaias 2010, Isaias et al. wood products (Ministério do Meio Ambiente 2011, Suzuki et al. 2015). Additional studies have 2002). The conversion of natural environments focused on the importance of galls as bioindicators into urban and agricultural areas leads to the loss (Moreira et al. 2007, Oliveira 2009). and fragmentation of habitats and consequent Gall inventories have concentrated in the biodiversity reductions and disruptions of plant- southeastern region of Brazil, with the Cerrado and insect interactions (Tabarelli 1998). Previous Atlantic Forest biomes being the most intensively studies have demonstrated that the richness studied (e.g., Fernandes et al. 1996, Gonçalves- of entomogenous galls in the interior of forest Alvim and Fernandes 2001, Maia and Fernandes fragments responds negatively to anthropogenic 2004, Fernandes et al. 2009). Few studies have disturbances, diminishing sharply as biodiversity focused on dryland Caatinga vegetation (Santos et losses and increasing plant mortality rates al. 2011, Silva et al. 2011, Carvalho-Fernandes et impoverish those fragments (Urso-Guimarães et al. al. 2012, Costa 2016), the Amazon Forest (Almada 2003, Moreira et al. 2007). and Fernandes 2011, Maia 2011, Silva et al. 2011, Within that context, we undertook a survey Araújo et al. 2012, Julião et al. 2014), and Caatinga- of insect galls and their host plants in an area An Acad Bras Cienc (2018) 90 (3) GALLS OF CERRADO AND GALLERY FOREST OF BAHIA 2905 of Cerrado and Gallery forest vegetation in the – DCH/Campus VI to allow eclosion of the inducing municipality of Caetité, Bahia State, Brazil. insects. The remaining galls were examined under a stereomicroscope and any immature forms of the MATERIALS AND METHODS insects were removed for identification and the numbers of chambers in the galls were counted. Current study was undertaken along the Jacaraci Any immature or adult insects were stored in 70% trail (14°05’18”S, 42°29’56”W, at 1,110 meters a.s.l.) ethanol. The identifications of immature forms located along the urban border of the municipality (without corresponding adult insects) were made of Caetité (BA). The trail is approximately 3 by comparisons with insect morphotypes and host kilometers long and passes through areas of Cerrado plants previously identified in Cerrado vegetation sensu stricto vegetation growing on sandy soils and in Gallery forests. All the examined material with exposed rock outcrops, as well as a Gallery was deposited in the Entomological Collection of forest along the Riacho Alegre Creek. the Museu Nacional (MNRJ /UFRJ). Collections were undertaken on a monthly basis between February/2015 and January/2016, RESULTS totalling 12 field campaigns along the entire extension of the trail. All plant architectures (herbs, We recorded 63 gall morphotypes on 47 host plant shrubs, trees, and vines) visible up to 3 m above species belonging to 22 families in the vegetation the ground were searched for galls involving along the Jacaraci trail (Table I). Of the total number two or three people and lasting approximately of galls (63), 17 were observed in the Gallery forest 4 hours each. When encountered, the galls were (on 14 plant species of 9 families) and 46 in Cerrado photographed and classified into morphotypes vegetation (on 33 plant species of 16 families). The following Isaias et al. (2013). plant families with the greatest gall richness were Plant voucher specimens were collected in Leguminosae (Fabaceae) (n=15), Myrtaceae (n=9), the field and subsequently prepared for herbarium and Asteraceae (n=7). The Leguminosae had the storage at the Laboratório de Botânica of the largest number of host species (nine), followed Departamento de Ciências Humanas, Campus VI by Myrtaceae and