Associação mutualística entre larvas de coleoptera e formigas em montrichardia linifera (araceae) na flona de Caxiuanã

Abstract

Montrichardia linifera (Anhinga) has a long massive stem, partially submerged; a large number of specimens found inside this plant, implies evolutionary explanations by which this species developed; Coleoptera larvae have a chewing mouth apparatus with well-developed mandibles, which gives them the ability to perforate various types of woody material; on the other hand, we found ants that are extremely adaptable and able to establish colonies in considerable places of difficult access. The present work attempts to show the plant/insect interaction and the opportunism between coleoptera and ants. The collection of material was carried out in three areas of the anhingal (near the forest: left and right side and in the center of the anhingal), on a stretch of the Curuá River near ECFPn. The attacked parts of the plants were collected by cutting them at the emergent region, exactly at the water level. In the laboratory, the diameter 5 above the cut, total height and length of the galleries were recorded. It was observed that specimens of the Rhysodidae family (Coleoptera) are boring the stem of M. linifera and after leaving their galleries, these are colonized by ants of the species Camponotus spp, Azteca spp. and Phedole sp. According to Britton (1970), species of the Australian Rhysodidae family are associated with plant mimercodomes. In our work we found specimens of the same family, brooding M. linifera that do not have mimercodomes.