Neotropical Insect Galls [Hardcover]

The book brings to light the most recent findings on the biogeography, biodiversity, host plant induction and natural history of gall inducing insects in the Neotropical region.?We attempt to summarize the work done so far in the region, promote several syntheses on many aspects such as host induction, host specialization, distribution among the several vegetation types and zones, the origin of super hosts and the mechanisms leading to geographical patterns in their distribution.?Furthermore, the book constructs new perspectives for deeper understanding of galling insect evolutionary ecology and biogeopgraphy in the region.

Introduction.- 1. Neotropical Insect galls: status of knowledge and perspectives; G. Wilson Fernandes et al.- 2. Developmental Anatomy of Galls in the Neotropics: Arthropods Stimuli vs. Host Plant Constraints; Rosy Mary dos Santos Isaias et al.- 3. Functional Gradients in Insect Gall Tissues: Studies on Neotropical Host Plants; Denis Coelho de Oliveira et al.- 4. Gall Morphotypes in the Neotropics and the Need to Standardize Them; Rosy Mary dos Santos Isaias et al.- 5. Population Ecology of Galling Arthropods in the Neotropics; Tiago Shizen Pacheco Toma, Milton de Souza Mendon?a Jr.- 6. Bottom-up Effects on Gall Distribution; Milton Barbosa, Geraldo Wilson Fernandes.- 7. Natural selection on a tropical system: gall-size distribution on Waltheria indica L. (Malvaceae); Jos? M. A. Figueiredo et al.- 8. Density of insect galls in the forest understorey and canopy: Neotropical, Gondwanan or global patterns?; S?rvio Pontes Ribeiro et al.- 9. Galling insects as indicators of habitat quality; Tiago Shizen Pacheco Toma et al.- 10. Host specificity of gall midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) on ten species of Inga