Effects of host plant architecture on colonization by galling insects.

Araújo, Ana Paula Albano; Paula, Joana D’arc de; Carneiro, Marco Antonio Alves; Schoereder, José Henrique

Effects of host plant architecture on colonization by galling insects.

Date

2006

Authors

Araújo, Ana Paula Albano

Paula, Joana D’arc de

Carneiro, Marco Antonio Alves

Schoereder, José Henrique

Abstract

To study the abundance and occurrence of herbivore insects on plants it is important to consider plant characteristics that may control the insects. In this study the following hypotheses were tested: (i) an increase of plant architecture increases species richness and abundance of gall-inducing insects and (ii) plant architecture increases gall survival and decreases parasitism. Two hundred and forty plants of Baccharis pseudomyriocephala Teodoro (Asteraceae) were sampled, estimating the number of shoots, branches and their biomass. Species richness and abundance of galling insects were estimated per module, and mortality of the galls was assessed. Plant architecture influenced positively species richness, abundance and survival of galls. However, mortality of galling insects by parasitoids was low (13.26%) and was not affected by plant architecture, thus suggesting that other plant characteristics (a bottom-up pressure) might influence gall-inducing insect communities more than parasitism (a top-down pressure). The opposite effect of herbivore insects on plant characteristics must also be considered, and such effects may only be assessed through manipulative experiments.

Keywords

Abundance, Baccharis pseudomyriocephala, Richness, Galling insect

Citation

ARAÚJO, A. P. A. et al. Effects of host plant architecture on colonization by galling insects. Austral Ecology, v. 31, p. 343-348, 2006. Disponível em: <http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1442-9993.2006.01563.x/abstract>. Acesso em: 20 de jul. 2017.