Maria Virginia Urso-Guimarães

Bio: Maria Virginia Urso-Guimarães is an academic researcher from Federal University of São Carlos. The author has contributed to research in topics: Cecidomyiidae & Gall. The author has an hindex of 8, co-authored 32 publications receiving 265 citations. Previous affiliations of Maria Virginia Urso-Guimarães include Federal University of Western Bahia & University of São Paulo.

Occurrence and characterization of entomogen galls in plants from natural vegetation areas in Delfinópolis, MG, Brazil.

Abstract: In the present work we aimed to register the occurrence of galls, inductors, inquilines, and parasitoids in plants of three natural vegetation areas in Delfinopolis, MG, Brazil Results obtained showed 22 types of galls collected from leaf, vein leaf, petioles, stem, and inflorescence of nineteen species belonging to fifteen distinct families Concerning gall morphology, the following were collected: globoid, conicle, discoidal, fusiform, shell-shape, indefinite, and one substituition of an ovary by an immature As principal inducers were found insects of the families Cecidomyiidae (Diptera), Psyllidae, and Diaspididae (Sternorrhyncha/Hemiptera) As parasitoids the most common are of the Chalcidoidea superfamily (Hymenoptera) and, as occasional inquilines, Polyxenidae (Diplopoda) and Psocodea (Psocoptera) The results of this study contribute to existing of knowledge host-plant diversity and gall-associated insects in rocky fields, cerrado, and gallery forests

Galls and gall makers in plants from the Pé-de-Gigante Cerrado Reserve, Santa Rita do Passa Quatro, SP, Brazil.

Abstract: Thirty-six morphologically different types of galls were obtained in leaves, leaflets, veins, petioles, stems, tendrils and flower buds from twenty-five species of plants in the Pe-de-Gigante Reserve, municipality of Santa Rita do Passa Quatro, state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The host plant species belong to the closely related families Anacardiaceae, Annonaceae, Asteraceae, Bignoniaceae, Caryocaraceae, Erythroxylaceae, Fabaceae, Malpighiaceae, Melastomataceae, Myrtaceae, Ochnaceae, Polygalaceae, Sapindaceae, Sapotaceae, and Smilacaceae. The most common gall makers included Cecidomyiidae (Diptera), Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera) and Diaspididae (Sternorrhyncha-Hemiptera). This is the first report of galls found in the following plant genera: Gochnatia (Asteraceae), Distictela (Bignoniaceae), Banisteriopsis (Malpighiaceae), Ouratea (Ochnaceae), and Bredemeyera (Polygalaceae). The results of this work contribute to the body of knowledge about the relationship among host plants, gall makers, and the gall morphology of Pe-de-Gigante Cerrado Reserve.

Characterization of galls, insect galls and associated fauna of Ecological Station of Jataí (Luiz Antônio, SP)

Abstract: This is the first study about galls, gall makers and associated fauna of the Ecological Station of Jatai. Galls are plant structures formed by abnormal growth of cells, tissues or organs induced by several organisms, as fungous, nematoids and insects. Five areas of the conservation unity, two in the phytophysionomy of cerrado in regeneration and three in the cerradao area were studied, totalizing 69 morphotypes of galls on 41 host species from 24 families. This is the first record of Annonaceae as the richest family in morphotypes in Brazil; 34 gall makers and associated fauna were identified, which 23 Diptera (67.4%), eight Hymenoptera (23.5%), two Hemiptera (5.8%) and one Thysanoptera (2.9%). Were described 41 new morphotypes of gall and made the first characterization of gall on Maprounea guianensis Aubl., Acosmium subelegans (Mohlenbr.) Yakovlev., Strychnosbicolor Progel, Eriotheca gracilipes K. Schum., Stryphnodendron obovatum Benth., Broyesum gaudichaudii Trecul, Psychotria suterella Mull. Arg., Psychotria trichophora Mull. Arg. and Serjania erecta Radlk.

Relationship between space distribution of the benthic macroinvertebrates community and trophic state in a Neotropical reservoir (Itupararanga, Brazil)

Abstract: The purpose of this work was to verify the benthic macroinvertebrates community responses through environmental factors along a headwater tropical reservoir. Samplings were taken with a Van-Veen grab along the reservoir in littoral and profundal regions and in the headwater, next to the dam and the middle of the reservoir. Samples were taken during both wet and dry seasons. Dissolved oxygen concentrations, electric conductivity, temperature and pH near the sediment have been performed in situ, at every sampling station by using a multiprobe and Secchi disc. Total water phosphorus and chlorophyll a concentrations were analyzed to determine the trophic state index. Sediment's organic matter, total phosphorus, nitrogen concentrations and granulometric composition were measured. In order to verify which environmental variables would have more influence over the benthic macroinvertebrates community, a canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was performed. The total number of recorded taxa was 28. Among them, the family Chironomidae (Diptera) was the richest group (19 taxa). It can be proposed that the benthic macroinvertebrates community may be influenced by environmental conditions such as nutrient and organic matter availability, as well as dissolved oxygen concentration. Macroinvertebrates are adequate bioindicators of water quality due to their sensibility to environmental changes mentioned before. Chironomus sp, Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri and Branchiura sowerbyi comprises a group that can be considered bio-indicators of eutrophic conditions. A second group can be considered as indicator of mesotrophic conditions. The presence of two or more members from that group which comprises Tanytarsini spp, Fissimentum sp, Pelomus sp and Goeldichironomus sp, like predominant taxa, may indicates mesotrophic conditions.

Characterization of entomogen galls from Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Abstract: In this paper we performed a study of occurrence and characterization of entomogen galls from natural vegetation areas in Mato Grosso do Sul. We surveyed natural areas of four biomes from Mato Grosso do Sul State: Pantanal (Corumba), Atlantic Forest (Bodoquena), Cerrado (Aquidauana), and Chaco (Porto Murtinho). We identified 186 morphotypes of galls in 115 host plant species from 35 families and 73 genera. The richest families were Fabaceae (N = 34), Sapindaceae (N = 24), Bignoniaceae (N = 17), and Myrtaceae (N = 15). Fifty morphotypes of insects (27%) were found in galls of 38 host plants, 78% of which belongs to Diptera, 10% to Hymenoptera, and the other 12% are divided among Hemiptera, Thysanoptera, Coleoptera, and Lepidoptera. In this study, the geographic distribution of gall morphotypes associated to the cecidomyiids Youngomyia pouteriae Maia, 2004, and Trotteria quadridentata Maia, 2004 (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae), and the wasp Mononeuron duguetiae Fischer, 1981 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Doryctinae) are expanded to the localities sampled in MS. In addition, four genera and 24 species of plants were recorded for the first time as hosts to entomogen galls. All occurrences of Cecidomyiidae in Mato Grosso do Sul's localities are new records for this family.

Are gall midge species (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) host-plant specialists?

Abstract: Despite the speciose fauna of gall-inducing insects in the Neotropical region, little is known about their taxonomy. On the other hand, gall morphotypes associated with host species have been extensively used as a surrogate of the inducer species worldwide. This study reviewed the described gall midges and their galls to test the generalization on the use of gall morphotypes as surrogates of gall midge species in the Brazilian fauna. We compiled taxonomic and biological data for 196 gall midge species recorded on 128 host plant species. Ninety two percent of those species were monophagous, inducing galls on a single host plant species, whereas only 5.6% species were oligophagous, inducing galls on more than one congeneric host plant species. Only four species induced galls on more than one host plant genus. We conclude that gall morphotypes associated with information on the host plant species and attacked organs are reliable surrogates of the gall-inducing species.

Ocorrência e caracterização de galhas de insetos em áreas de restinga de Bertioga (São Paulo, Brasil)

Abstract: Studies on entomogenous galls at restinga areas in the State of Sao Paulo are very scarce, and the diversity of galling insects is completely unknown in these areas. In this study, we investigated restinga environments in Bertioga (S.P.) in order to contribute to the knowledge of the galls and the taxonomy of the galling insects in this State. Two hundred thirty three kinds of insect gall were found on 123 plant species and 48 families. The Myrtaceae and Asteraceae showed the greatest number of attacked species (14 and 13, respectively) and the greatest richness of galls (31 and 29, respectively). Most galls (about 60%) were observed on leaves. Galls of Diptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera e Thysanoptera were found, being the majority (about 57%) induced by Cecidomyiidae (Diptera). Other dwellers were found in 117 kinds of gall (about 50%): inquilinous; sucessors; predators and parasitoids. Among them, the parasitoids and the inquilinous were the most frequent ones. The parasitoids belong to eigth families of Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae, Platygastridae, Pteromalidae, Torymidae, Braconidae, Encyrtidae, Mymaridae and Eupelmidae, being the first three the most frequent ones. The inquilinous belong to five insect orders: Diptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera and Thysanoptera, being the Diptera the most frequent.

Insetos indutores de galhas da porção sul da Cadeia do Espinhaço, Minas Gerais, Brasil

Abstract: A riqueza de insetos galhadores e maior nas latitudes intermediarias em habitats quentes e com vegetacao esclerofila sob estresse hidrico e de nutrientes. Em regioes tropicais, os campos rupestres sao indicados como habitats ricos em especies de insetos galhadores. Neste trabalho, foram descritas as galhas induzidas por insetos e suas plantas hospedeiras na porcao sul da Cadeia do Espinhaco, sudeste do Brasil. Foram selecionados 60 sitios em seis regioes ao longo na porcao sul da Cadeia do Espinhaco no estado de Minas Gerais. Em cada sitio 100 plantas foram amostradas totalizando 6.000 plantas censuradas ao longo de um gradiente altitudinal de 668 a 1860m. Foram encontrados 241 morfotipos de galhas em 142 especies de plantas distribuidas em 29 familias e de um total de 384 especies de plantas amostradas. As familias mais ricas em especies de insetos galhadores foram Asteraceae (42%), principalmente especies do genero Baccharis. A maior parte das galhas (85%) foi induzida por insetos da familia Cecidomyiidae seguidos por Lepidoptera (4%) e Homoptera (3%). Os ramos foram os orgaos mais frequentemente atacados (72%) enquanto que os morfotipos mais comuns foram o eliptico (37%) e o globoide (36%). A especie de planta hospedeira que apresentou mais morfotipos de galhas foi Baccharis pseudomyriocephala com 10 galhas distintas. Este estudo sustenta a afirmativa que campos rupestres apresentam uma elevada riqueza em especies de insetos galhadores.