New records of entomogenous galls, inducers, and associated fauna at the Jataí Ecological Station (Luiz Antônio, SP, Brazil)

ABSTRACT Studies on entomogenous galls in the Brazilian savannah of the State of São Paulo are very scarce, and the diversity of gall-forming insects in these areas is barely known. The Ecological Station of Jataí (ESJataí), located in Luiz Antônio, is the largest protect area of Cerrado in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, covering 9,074 hectares. This study builds on the 2012 survey of entomogenous galls, extending it to new areas and phytophysiognomies within the ESJataí. A total of 103 gall morphotypes were identified on 47 plant species belonging to 22 families in these new samples. The results showed that only ten host plant species and ten morphotypes were present in both surveys. Another difference from the previous study are that Fabaceae (N=33), rather than Annonaceae (N=10), presented the highest richness of gall morphotypes and the super-host plant species is Copaifera langsdorffii Desf. (Fabaceae) (N=15) instead of Byrsonima cf intermedia A. Juss. (Malpighiaceae) (N=6). Duguetia furfuracea (A. St.-Hil.) Saff. (Annonaceae) was found to be a super-host species in both surveys (N=5 in 2012 and N=9 in 2024). The associated fauna is composed of four guilds, inducers (N=17), parasitoids (N=25), inquilines (N=4), and successors (N=17). Most of the gall-inducing insects belonged to the Cecidomyiidae family (Diptera) (N=17), with Clinodiplosis bellum Urso-Guimarães and Carmo-Neto, 2015, Alycaulus hexadentatus Urso-Guimarães, 2018, and Lopesia curupirae Urso-Guimarães, Garcia and Ospina, 2024 reported for the first time to this area.