Galls are the most complex interaction between plants and insects during the course of their evolution. The species of galling insects are found in the most of biogeographic regions, but mainly in xeric habitats, as the Espinal eco-region, located in the Pampa Biogeographic Region, Chacoan Subregion. Schinus fasciculata (Griseb.) I. M. Johnst. (Anacardiaceae) it is a tree or shrub, representative from the Espinal eco-region, which supports several kinds of galls. Our objectives are to identify the insect species that induce leaves and stem galls on Schinus fasciculata, in an Espinal relict from province of Córdoba and to describe the exomorphology of galls. In this Espinal relict 18 plants of Schinus fasciculata, in four transects of 100 m2 were selected. Five morphological types of galls were found, three on leaves, induced by insects belonging to Hemiptera Order, and two on stems, induced by insects of Lepidoptera Order. The galling insects were identified at species level and the different morphotypes of galls found were unique to each galling insect species.

La más compleja de las interacciones que plantas e insectos han desarrollado durante el transcurso de su evolución, son las agallas. Las especies de insectos galícolas se encuentran en la mayoría de las regiones biogeográficas, principalmente en ambientes xéricos, de los cuales un ejemplo lo constituye la ecorregión del Espinal, ubicada en la Provincia Biogeográfica de la Pampa, Subregión Chaqueña. Schinus fasciculata (Griseb.) I.M. Johnst. (Anacardiaceae) es una especie arbórea o arbustiva representativa de la ecorregión del Espinal que presenta diversas agallas entomógenas. Los objetivos del presente trabajo son identificar las especies de insectos que producen agallas en hojas y tallos de Schinus fasciculata en un relicto de Espinal de la provincia de Córdoba y caracterizar exomorfológicamente las agallas. Se seleccionaron 18 ejemplares de S. fasciculata distribuidos en cuatro transectas de 100 m2. Se caracterizaron cinco morfotipos de agallas, tres en hojas, inducidas por insectos del orden Hemiptera y dos en tallos, originadas por insectos del orden Lepidoptera. Los insectos productores de las mismas fueron identificados a nivel de especie y los distintos morfotipos de agallas fueron únicos para cada especie de insecto inductor.

The planthopper Delphacodes kuscheli Fennah (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), principal insect vector of Mal de Río Cuarto virus on corn in Argentina, produces severe disease outbreaks when migration of large macropterous populations coincides with early corn growth stages. Linear models based on winter environmental variables were developed to explain variation of macropterous populations accumulated on oat until November 30 (1993-2001) in La Aguada (department of Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina). Using daily records of maximum and minimum temperatures and precipitation, variables were generated and processed in different periods from June 1 to September 20. The best bivariate model (R²=0.97) had the lowest mean square error, was selected by Stepwise procedure, and its validation was highly satisfactory. It included the variable DDTxn, which accumulates mean temperature values exceeding 10°C on days with maximum and minimum temperature >24.5°C and 11°C, respectively, and DPr, which counts days with precipitation (>0mm). These variables were processed from July 1 to September 19. Using this model (correctly validated against independent observations in Chaján, Sol de Mayo and Espinillo -department of Río Cuarto- for 2, 3 and 7 years, respectively), climate risk in the Pampas region was evaluated relative to insect population levels in the endemic area.