Plant-mediated interaction: a first record of thrips feeding on Hartigiola annulipes (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) galls Sebastian PILICHOWSKI1*, Manfred R. ULITZKA2, Radosław JAGIEŁŁO3 and Marian J. GIERTYCH1, 3 1 Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, Prof. Z. Szafrana 1, 65-516 Zielona Góra, Poland 2 Thrips-iD, Straßburger Straße 37A, 77652 Offenburg, Germany 3 Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Parkowa 5, 62-035 Kórnik, Poland *e-mail:
[email protected] (corresponding author) ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Research note Galls formed by insects can act as sinks for nutrients and attract other herbivores to feed on gall tissues, which initiates interspe- Pol. J. Ecol. (2019) 67: 168-173 cific competition, sometimes nurturing the herbivorous insects and restraining the gall-inducing insect, particularly when this received after revision competition is plant-mediated. Here, to our knowledge, we pro- April 2019 vide the first evidence of a close relationship between a gall insect, Hartigiola annulipes (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), and a sap-sucking, doi Liothrips setinodis (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae). The thrips 10.3161/15052249PJE2019.67.2.007 were observed feeding on young H. annulipes galls, formed on the common beech (Fagus sylvatica) leaves during spring. Among randomly chosen beech trees, 100 current-year shoots were sur- key words veyed to determine the number of H. annulipes galls and the pres- ence of thrips on the leaves. Our results show that L. setinodis Cecidomyiidae specimens were found significantly more frequently on leaves in- co-occurrence fested by the galler than on uninfested leaves. The consequences of galls feeding thrips at the site of gall formation are not known yet, but it thrips can be supposed that they are unfavourable to the gall insects and Phlaeothripidae therefore could be beneficial for the host plant.