New state record of Schismatodiplosis lantanae (Rübsaamen, 1908) (Insecta, Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) in Brazil

Schismatodiplosis lantanae (Rubsaamen, 1908) (Insecta, Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) induces leaf galls in Lantana camara L . , L. urticifolia Mill. and L. hispida Kunth (Verbenaceae). The previous records of S. lantanae in Brazil included only the states of Rio de Janeiro (Southeast Region) and Santa Catarina (South Region). In this study, the geographic distribution of this galling species is extended to the states of Para and Rondonia (North Region), Pernambuco (Northeast Region), Minas Gerais (Southeast Region), and four municipalities of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Casimiro de Abreu, Mangaratiba, Rio das Ostras and Valenca).

During the field work, individuals of L. camara were investigated for galls. The host plant and the galled leaves were photographed with a digital camera (Figure 1), removed from host, and transported to Laboratório de Diptera (MNRJ). Some samples were maintained in plastic containers for adults' emergence, while others were dissected to obtain larva and pupa. The specimens were mounted on microscope slides following the methods of Gagné (1994) and were identified based on gall and gall midge morphology, according to the key of Gagné (1994) and original description. The material is deposited in the Diptera collection of Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (MNRJ).
Besides this material, we examined the specimens deposited in the Cecidomyiidae collection of the MNRJ, the only reference collection for this family in Brazil and the largest one in Latin America. We also have analyzed all insect galls inventories of Brazil published from 1988 to 2012, totalizing 36 papers.
The gall midges obtained from galled leaves of L. camara in Campo Novo de Rondônia (Rondônia), Valença, Rio das Ostras, and Casimiro de Abreu (Rio de Janeiro) were identified as S. lantanae.
The Cecidomyiidae collection of MNRJ includes specimens of S. lantanae from Mangaratiba, state of Rio de Janeiro (Atlantic Forest), as well as from Oriximiná, state of Pará (Amazonian Forest), localities where this galling species had not yet been recorded.
The host plant, L. camara, is found in all states of Brazil, except in Pará, Sergipe and Alagoas (Lista de Espécies da Flora do Brasil 2013). However, the collection of MNRJ comprises specimens of S. lantanae obtained from the state of Pará. This suggests the expansion of host plant distribution, due to the specificity between galling insect and host plant.
Most part of the published inventories (62%) presented only a list of the host plant species and the galls description, without providing the identification of the inducers. These data are sufficient to identify the galling species due its specificity to the host plants, plantorgan and gall morphology. Based on these inventories, the distribution area of S. lantanae is expanded to Minas Gerais (Aimorés and Vale do Rio Doce) and Pernambuco (city not specified in the original publication) (Fernandes et al. 2001;Fernandes and Negreiros 2006;Santos et al. 2011).
The geographic distribution of S. lantanae in Brazil includes six states (Figure 2): Rio de Janeiro, Pará (new record), Rondônia (new record), Pernambuco, Minas Gerais and Santa Catarina (Fernandes et al. 2001;Maia 2001;Fernandes and Negreiros 2006;Santos et al. 2011). In the state of Rio de Janeiro this species occur in four municipalities (new records): Mangaratiba, Rio das Ostras, Valença and Casimiro de Abreu.
Considering the previous records and the present study, we can realize that the geographical distribution of S. lantanae covers four different biomes: Amazonian Forest, Atlantic Forest (Ombrophylous Forest and Restinga), Cerrado and Caatinga, which indicates plasticity to different biotic and abiotic conditions.
The majority of the geographic records are from the Southeast Region of Brazil. Such concentration can be justified both by the highest number of cecidologists and by the greatest number of gall surveys in this region.