Sincronia fenológica, dimorfismo sexual e ontogênese em galhas de Pseudotectococcus rollinae Hodgson & Gonçalves (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Eriococcidae) em Rollinia laurifolia Schltdl. (Annonaceae)

Abstract

Rollinia laurifolia Schltdl. (Annonaceae) has leaf galls induced by Pseudotectococcus rolliniae Hodgson & Gonçalves (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Eriococcidae), which presents sexual dimorphism also observed on the galls. In this system, there is a phenological synchrony between host and gall-inducing insects. R. laurifolia looses its leaves during the dry season and budburst begin at the rainy season start. Several P. rolliniae nymphs induces similar leaf galls at young leaves. Their sexual dimorphism occur at 8th gall development day. At this moment, galls induced by females are spherical, bigger than that induced by males and have two chambers. There is more phloem parenchyma and mechanical tissue inside this galls because females stay inside their galls where they feed and will be inseminated. Galls induced by males are conical-shaped, smaller, and have just one chamber. Also they present a shorter life cycle. At sixteen day adult winged males leave their galls to find females. After insemination, females produce wax that protect inside ostiole separating abaxial and adaxial chamber, where oviposition and egg hatching take place. Pseudotectococcus rolliniae life cycles inside leaf galls last up 44 to 50 dias from females and up 14 to 20 from males. First instar nymphs (crawlers) are very active. They leave maternal galls and they may find shelter before R. laurifolia leaf falling. So, they walk to stems where they induces another gall type considered as dormancy galls, because reduction in metabolic activity. As rainy season begins, an ecdysis will occur and second instar nymphs will induce leaf galls at young near hatched leaves. This is new on Eriococcidae studies.