Pterandra pyroidea, A. Juss.

Maia, V. C., Flor, I. C. & Oliveira, L. A., 2018, Myrciamyia pterandrae (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae, Lopesiini), a new species of gall midge associated with Pterandra pyroidea A. Juss. (Malpighiaceae), an endemic plant in Brazilian Cerrado, Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 62, pp. 220-224 : 220-221

P. pyroidea

is intensely attacked by the galler. Galls are arranged in groups or separately, on the abaxial surface of apical leaves, near the leaf veins. Asingle galling larva is found in each gall, where the pupation occurs. Adults emerge by an opening situated adaxially.

Plant reactions against the galler attack were observed and photographed ( Fig. 3 ). They are characterized as a round, redbrownish spot around the gall initiation site. In these reactions, morphological and histological changes cause the death of the attacked tissue, which culminate in the localization, containment and death of the galling larvae ( Fernandes and Negreiros, 2001). Fernandes et al. (2003) stressed the importance of the hypersensitivity reaction, a mechanism by which the host plant identifies the attacked site, eliminates attempts to gall induction and protects itself against these insects.

Figures

Figs 1–3. Host plant, P. pyroidea A. Juss. (Malpighiaceae). 1. General aspect. 2. Galled leaf (galls induced by M. pterandrae Maia & Flor, sp. nov.). 3. Plant reaction against the gall induction.