Abstract This study examined temporal variation in the abundance of immature stages of Elbella luteizona (Hesperiidae) and describes the morphology and behavior of the larvae on their host plants, Byrsonima coccolobifolia and Myrsine guianensis. Five hundred sixty-eight 10 m diameter plots were searched for caterpillars in the Brazilian Cerrado over a period of one year. We inspected 5968 host plants, and found 31 eggs and 262 larvae on 244 plants. Similar numbers of immatures were found in both species of host plants. The abundance of immature stages varied monthly and was significantly higher in the dry season on both host plants, which may be due to the low density of natural enemies during that time. E. luteizona is univoltine, and larvae present relatively little morphological variation. However, during development, substantial changes occur in the architecture of leaf shelters that caterpillars construct. In addition, E. luteizona larvae develop very slowly, taking more than 300 days to complete metamorphosis.

Arctiinae moths include nearly 11,000 species worldwide, of which approximately 700 species occur in the Brazilian Cerrado. The aim of this study was to describe the species composition of Arctiinae, as well as the variation in annual and nightly moth activity, in two Cerrado vegetation types. We sampled moths one night per month from September 2008 to June 2009, in the gallery forest and in the cerrado sensu stricto in the Jardim Botânico de Brasília. We collected 395 tiger moths belonging to 65 morphospecies; 74% of the species belonged to the tribe Arctiini and 26% to Lithosiini. Thirty-one species (47.7%) occurred only in the gallery forest, 13 (20%) occurred only in the cerrado sensu stricto, and 21 (32.3%) occurred in both vegetation types. Additionally, we found the greatest species richness between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and these hours were associated with 21 and 22 species, respectively. Most species (51.8%) were active for up to three hours during the night. In general, the species composition differed between the dry and rainy seasons, and the similarity of the fauna also varied hourly. Based on our results, we suggest that rapid inventories of Arctiinae be performed in both rainy and dry seasons, and sampling should be carried out the entire night.

Eloria subapicalis (Walker, 1855) is a rare species (61 individuals in four years of samplings) of Noctuidae (Lymantriinae) with a specific diet consisting of leaves of Erythroxylum P. Browne (Erytroxylaceae) species in Brasilia's cerrado. Generally, the rarity of a caterpillar species may have many explanations such as a generalist diet, being restricted to a host plant that is scarce in the area, or occurring in a limited geographical area. However, all the above explanations do not apply to E. subapicalis because it shows specificity of diet, uses a common host plant in the cerrado areas, and has a large geographical distribution.

The Cerrado biome is located in the central region of Brazil and consists mainly of savanna vegetation. In this study we assessed the richness of tiger moths (Arctiidae) of the Brazilian Cerrado. Specifically, we 1) assessed species richness in one-degree cells in the biome, 2) identified areas where these moths are poorly known, and 3) tested if similarities in species composition are related to geographical distance in the relatively well-sampled areas. We obtained the data mainly from specimens deposited in museums, but we also included additional information from the literature. We compiled 2,321 records belonging to 723 species. Specimens were recorded in 108 localities distributed in 67 one-degree cells. Species occurring exclusively in one or two one-degree cells represented 64% of the total number of species. Sample effort was not uniform in the biome, as there were very few records in the northern region of the Cerrado. The best-sampled one-degree cell had 239 species. Species assemblages were structured in space with a clear trend of localities near one another presenting more similarities in faunal composition than distant localities. This distance decay in similarity was slightly more pronounced along the longitudinal than along the latitudinal distances. We conclude that the Cerrado still remains poorly inventoried for tiger moths, particularly in its northern portion, where many unrecorded species may be found in the future. Despite of this limited knowledge, the best-sampled region indicates that richness of tiger moths in the Cerrado is comparable to the species-rich forest biomes in the Neotropical region.

The boll weevil causes serious damage to the cotton crop in South America. Several studies have been published on this pest, but its phenology and behavior under the tropical conditions prevailing in Brazil are not well-known. In this study the feeding behavior and main food sources of adult boll weevils throughout the year in Central Brazil was investigated. The digestive tract contents of insects captured in pheromone traps in two cotton fields and two areas of native vegetation (gallery forest and cerrado sensu stricto) were analyzed. The insect was captured all through the year only in the cerrado. It fed on pollen of 19 different plant families, on Pteridophyta and fungi spores and algae cysts. Simpson Index test showed that the cerrado provided greater diversity of pollen sources. In the beginning of the cotton cycle, the plant families used for pollen feeding were varied: in cotton area 1, the weevil fed on Poaceae(50%), Malvaceae and Smilacaceae (25% each); in cotton area 2 the pollen sources were Malvaceae (50%), Asteraceae (25%) and Fabaceae and Clusiaceae (25% each); in the cerrado they were Chenopodiaceae (67%) and Scheuchzeriaceae (33%). No weevils were collected in the gallery forest in this period. After cotton was harvested, the family Smilacaceae was predominant among the food plants exploited in all the study areas. These results help to explain the survivorship of adult boll weevil during cotton fallow season in Central Brazil and they are discussed in the context of behavioral adaptations to the prevailing tropical environmental conditions.

As lagartas da mariposa Stenoma cathosiota Meyrick alimentam-se de folhas de Roupala montana Aubl. (Proteaceae) em áreas de cerrado do Distrito Federal. Elas constroem abrigos juntando folhas da planta onde se alimentam e empupam. São parasitadas por uma vespa (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) que emerge da pupa. A abundância de lagartas de S. cathosiota e a freqüência do parasitismo foram comparadas em duas áreas de estudo: uma com queimadas freqüentes (bienal) e a outra com queimadas esporádicas (1987 e 1994). Na área com baixa freqüência de queimada, a variação na abundância das lagartas entre anos foi significativamente diferente (chi² = 24,06; gl. = 1; P = 0,000). No entanto, a variação na abundância de lagartas entre áreas, para o mesmo período de tempo, não diferiu estatisticamente (chi² = 3,45; gl. = 1; P = 0,063). A freqüência do parasitismo foi alta, ocorrendo em 29% das lagartas coletadas e não diferiu entre as áreas. A grande variação temporal na abundância de lagartas no cerrado dificulta a determinação dos efeitos do fogo sobre essa fauna.

The caterpillars of Stenoma cathosiota Meyrick feed on Roupala montana Aubl. (Proteaceae) in the cerrado of the Distrito Federal, Brazil. They construct shelters by joining leaves of the plant where they feed and pupate. The caterpillars are parasitized by a wasp (Hymenoptera: Brachonidae), which emerges from the pupae. Caterpillar abundance and parasitism frequency were associated in an area of frequently burned cerrado (biennial fire) and in another area that burns sporadically (1987 and 1994). For S. cathosiota, the variation among years in a single area, with sporadic fires, was greater than the variation among areas with different fire regimes. Caterpillar abundance among years was significantly different in the area that burns sporadically (chi² = 24.06; df. = 1; P = 0.000). However, there were no significant differences on caterpillar abundance between areas for the same period (chi² = 3.45; df. = 1; P = 0.063). Parasitism frequency was high, reaching 29% of the collected caterpillars, and did not differ among areas. The great temporal variation in abundance of lepidopteran caterpillars in the cerrado makes it difficult to determine the effects that fire exerts over this fauna.

Dada a ausência de informações sobre a biologia de lagartas que ocorrem em plantas de cerrado, apresentamos aqui algumas informações sobre larvas do gênero Inga Busk. Lagartas foram coletadas, semanalmente, em 15 indivíduos de Diospyros burchelli Hern. (Ebenaceae), de janeiro de 2002 a dezembro de 2003, em 30 indivíduos de Caryocar brasiliense Camb. (Caryocaraceae), de julho de 2003 a junho de 2004 e, em várias outras espécies de plantas desde 1991. No total foram encontradas 15 espécies de Inga em plantas de cerrado, no DF. Nove espécies foram raras com até cinco adultos obtidos em criação no laboratório. As outras seis espécies ocorreram durante o ano sendo mais abundantes entre maio e julho (estação seca), o que coincide com a época de maior abundância de lagartas no cerrado. As lagartas do gênero Inga constroem abrigos, juntando duas folhas maduras ou velhas com fios de seda, onde se alimentam e desenvolvem (um hábito comum entre os Oecophorinae). Larvas de último instar constroem, dentro do abrigo, um tipo de envelope onde completam seu desenvolvimento e empupam. A separação das espécies das lagartas é muito difícil. Características externas permitem o reconhecimento de apenas quatro espécies de Inga: I. haemataula (Meyrick), I. phaecrossa (Meyrick), I. ancorata (Walsingham), and I. corystes (Meyrick). Essas quatro espécies têm ampla distribuição geográfica e são polífagas. Neste artigo, apresentamos informações não encontradas na literatura sobre a história natural de seis espécies de Inga comuns em plantas hospedeiras de cerrado.

We sampled Inga Busk species caterpillars weekly in the cerrado on 15 plants of Diospyros burchellii Hern. (Ebenaceae) from January 2002 to December 2003, on 30 plants of Caryocar brasiliense (Caryocaraceae) from July 2003 to June 2004, and since 1991 on several other plant species. In total we found 15 species of Inga on cerrado host plants. Nine species were very rare, with only one to five adults reared. The other six species occurred throughout the year, with higher abundance during the dry season, from May to July, coinciding with overall peaks of caterpillar abundance in the cerrado. Caterpillars of the genus Inga build shelters by tying and lining two mature or old leaves with silk and frass, where they rest and develop (a common habit found in Oecophorinae). The final instar builds a special envelope inside the leaf shelter, where it will complete the larval stage and pupate. The species are very difficult to distinguish in the immature stages. External features were useful in identifying only four species: I. haemataula (Meyrick), I. phaecrossa (Meyrick), I. ancorata (Walsingham), and I. corystes (Meyrick). These four species are polyphagous and have wide geographical distributions. In this paper we provide information on the natural history and host plants of six Inga species common on cerrado host plants, for which there are no reports in the literature.

O bioma Cerrado ocupa 23% do território brasileiro e abriga aproximadamente um terço da biota estimada para o país. O objetivo deste trabalho é conhecer a composição de espécies de Arctiidae noturnos e descrever os padrões de diversidade beta entre 14 áreas de Cerrado. Foram coletados 1.016 indivíduos, representando 197 morfo-espécies. Estimativas de riqueza utilizando Jackknife 2 e Chao 2 indicaram que a região deve conter, respectivamente, 375,7 e 383,8 espécies. A regressão entre a riqueza de espécies observada e o número de fitofisionomias existente nas áreas amostradas não foi significativa. A diversidade beta (distância de Sorensen) entre as localidades estudadas foi positivamente relacionada com as distâncias geográficas. A análise multivariada indicou que, com exceção de Pedregulho, as áreas do estado de São Paulo foram distintas daquelas dos estados de Goiás e Tocantins. Agrupando os sítios por fitofisionomia, foi verificado que a fauna das matas de galeria e dos cerradões foram similares e formaram um grupo distinto daquele composto por formações abertas (campo sujo e cerrado sentido restrito). Sugere-se que os tipos de vegetação e as distâncias geográficas são fatores importantes na determinação das assembléias de Arctiidae no Cerrado brasileiro.

The Cerrado biome covers 23% of the Brazilian territory and includes nearly one third of the estimated biota of the country. The aim of this article is to know the species composition of the nocturnal Arctiidae and describe the beta-diversity patterns among 14 Cerrado areas.We collected a total of 1,016 individuals, representing 197 morphospecies. Estimates of species richness using Jackknife 2 and Chao 2 indicated that the region should contain, respectively, 375.7 and 383.8 species. The regression between species richness and number of vegetation types in the sampled areas was not significant. The beta-diversity (Sorensen distance) among study sites was positively related to geographical distances. The multivariate analyses indicated that, except for Pedregulho, study areas in São Paulo State were distinct from those in Goiás and Tocantins States. Pooling study sites within vegetation types revealed that fauna of gallery forests and "cerradões" were similar and, together, were different from those collected in open vegetacional formations ("campo sujo" and "cerrado sensustricto"). We suggested that vegetation characteristics and geographical distance are important factors in the determination of Arctiidae assemblages in the Brazilian Cerrado.

No cerrado a riqueza de espécies de lepidópteros é alta e confirmada por registros de adultos, mas o conhecimento sobre as interações das lagartas com suas plantas hospedeiras ainda é incipiente. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram conhecer a riqueza de espécies de lepidópteros folívoros em Roupala montana Abl., a idade relativa das folhas consumidas pelas espécies e suas amplitudes de dietas. Os dados foram coletados em áreas de cerrado sensu stricto de Brasília de 1991 a 2004. As lagartas encontradas foram coletadas e criadas no laboratório. Foram registradas 62 espécies de lepidópteros de 22 famílias, consumindo folhas jovens (8%) e maduras (92%) de R. montana. Cerconota sciaphilina (Zeller) (Elachistidae), duas espécies de Gracillariidae e uma de Gelechiidae consumiram somente folhas jovens e, apresentaram ciclo de vida curto e sincronizado com a fenologia foliar da planta hospedeira. Das espécies que consomem folhas maduras, 36 foram consideradas polífagas e mostraram variação muito grande na utilização do recurso. Vinte e seis espécies foram encontradas somente em R. montana, sendo que 58% delas são bastante raras, o que dificulta análise de amplitude de dieta. As espécies monófagas em R. montana foram Chlamydastis platyspora (Meyrick) (Elachistidae), Stenoma cathosiota Meyrick (Elachistidae), Idalus prop. sublineata (Rothschild) (Arctiidae) e Eomichla sp. (Oecophoridae).

Richness of lepidopteran species in the cerrado is high. The confirmation of this richness is based on adult records but knowledge of larvae-host plants interactions is still incipient. The main purpose of this work was to identify folivorous caterpillar species on Roupala montana Aubl. in areas of a Brazilian cerrado sensu stricto, their dietary range, and the relative age of the consumed leaves richness. Three data sets, collected from 1991 to 2004 were used in this study. All caterpillars found on the host plants in the field were collected and reared in the laboratory. Sixty-two lepidopteran species from 22 families were recorded; they were found feeding on new (8%) and mature (92%) leaves of R. montana. Cerconota sciaphilina (Zeller) (Elachistidae), two unidentified Gracillariidae species and, one species of Gelechiidae fed only on new leaves. These species showed a short life cycle, which was very syncronized with the host plant foliar phenology. Among the species feeding on mature leaves, 36 were considered polyphagous and, these showed a large variation in the use of the food resource. Twenty-six species were found only on R. montana, 58% were very rare, a character that difficults the analysis of their dietary range. The monophagous species on R. montana were: Chlamydastis platyspora (Meyrick) (Elachistidae), Stenoma cathosiota Meyrick (Elachistidae), Idalus prop. sublineata (Rothschild) (Arctiidae), and Eomichla sp. (Oecophoridae).

O gênero Chlamydastis Meyrick, 1916 (Elachistidae, Stenomatinae) possui 82 espécies descritas da região Neotropical. Chlamydastis smodicopa (Meyrick, 1915) tem local tipo o Estado de Amazonas, Brasil. No cerrado de Brasília, Distrito Federal, as lagartas de C. smodicopa são folívoras externas restritas à planta hospedeira Styrax ferrugineus Nees & Mart. (Styracaceae). De junho de 2000 a junho de 2001, foram vistoriados 243 indivíduos de S. ferrugineus, e encontradas 38 espécies de lagartas de Lepidoptera em 26% das plantas examinadas. C. smodicopa foi a espécie mais comum em S. ferrugineus mas, apesar disso, ocorreu somente em 7% das plantas. As lagartas apresentam no último ínstar cabeça castanho escuro, placa protorácica marron com faixa amarela na sua margem anterior, tegumento cinza com faixas dorsais e subdorsais marron e amarela, e atingem 30 mm de comprimento. Lagartas são solitárias e constróem abrigos ovóides com duas folhas unidas com fios de seda e com as duas extremidades abertas: uma utilizada para alimentação e a outra para deposição de fezes. Um novo abrigo é construído, à medida que as lagartas crescem ou quando as folhas tornam-se senescentes. No último instar a lagarta constrói um casulo no interior do abrigo foliar, onde ocorre o desenvolvimento da pupa que, em condições de laboratório, teve uma média de 18 dias. As lagartas tiveram a maior freqüência de agosto a setembro, no final da estação seca no cerrado.

The genus Chlamydastis Meyrick, 1916 (Elachistidae, Stenomatinae) contains 82 described species from Neotropical region, including Chlamydastis smodicopa (Meyrick, 1915), with the local type in Amazonas State, Brazil. In the cerrado (savanna woodland) area of Brasilia, Federal District, their larvae are external folivorous and restricted to the host plant Styrax ferrugineus Nees & Mart. (Styracaceae). Over the study period from June 2000 to June 2001, we inspected 243 S. ferrugineus individuals and found 38 species of lepidopteran larvae on 26% of the examined plants. Despite the fact that C. smodicopa is the most common species found on the host, it occurred only on 7% of the inspected plants. In the last instars they present a dark chestnut head, a brownish prothoracic shield with a yellow stripe in the anterior margin, a body integument that is grayish with brownish transverse stripes, brownish-yellow dorsolateral stripes, and they can attain up to 30 mm in length. Larvae are solitary and build an ovoid shelter by attaching two leaves together with silk, but leave both extremities open: one is used for feeding, and the other one for frass deposition. New shelters are built as they grow or when the leaves become senescent. Larvae in the last instar build a cocoon inside the shelter, where the pupal stage occurs, and under laboratory conditions the mean pupation time was 18 days. Their larvae had the highest frequency of occurrence from August to September, the final months of the dry season in the cerrado.

Hicimos un registro cuantitativo de larvas de Lepidoptera que se alimentán de tres espécies de Byrsonima (Malpighiaceae) que ocurren en el Brasil Central: B. crassa Nied , B. verbascifolia L. Rich and B. coccolobifolia (Spr.) Kunth. Nuestro principal objetivo fué estimar la abundancia y riqueza de orugas en cada una de las espécies de planta. Encontramos un patrón de baja abundancia y alta riqueza de espécies de orugas asociadas a las espécies de Byrsonima. Verificamos, todavía, que la similaridade entre la fauna de B. crassa y B. verbascifolia fué más alta que entre estas espécies y B. coccolobifolia. Una vez que se sabe que hojas con mayor cantidad de vellos pueden afectar la colonización y estratégias de forrageo de herbívoros, sugerimos que las diferencias en la comunidade de orugas asociadas a las distintas espécies de Byrsonima están relacionadas con los diferentes niveles de vellosidad apresentados por cada una de las espécies de plantas. Esta tendencia en Byrsonima es apoyada por el bajo número de orugas encontradas en hojas jóvenes de B. crassa y B. verbascifolia que tienen muchos pelos.

We sampled lepidopteran caterpillars on three Byrsonima species (Malpighiaceae) in Central Brazil: Byrsonima crassa , Byrsonima verbascifolia and Byrsonima coccolobifolia between May 1993 and July 1994. Fifteen individuals of each plant species were censused weekly. Our main goal was to estimate the abundance and richness of lepidopteran larvae within each plant species. Only 13% of the 1 621 sampled plants had caterpillars on their leaves. This percentage was similar within each plant species. We found a pattern of low abundance and high richness of lepidopteran species associated with Byrsonima. There were 48 morphospecies and 46% of them occurred just once. There was a higher similarity between the fauna of B. crassa and B. verbascifolia than between these and B. coccolobifolia. Once it is known that hairy leaves can affect herbivore colonization and foraging strategy, we suggest that differences in the lepidopteran community associated with Byrsonima spp. are linked with different levels of pubescence on the leaf surface of each plant species. This tendency in Byrsonima is supported by the small number of caterpillars found on young leaves of B. crassa and B. verbascifolia, which are quite hairy.

Este trabajo se realizó desde 1991 a 1995 en cuatro áreas de cerrado sensu stricto en Brasília, DF, Brasil. El clima de la región es estacional, con las estaciones seca y lluviosa bien marcadas. Nueve especies de plantas hospederas (tres géneros y tres familias) fueron examinadas en 10 800 censos desde 1993 a 1995 y en 15% de ellas se encontraron larvas. Se obtuvieron los adultos de 247 especies de lepidópteros (32 familias). La proporción de plantas con larvas aumentó rapidamente a partir del 15 de abril, permaneciendo alta hasta julio, estación de seca y fue menor al comenzar la estación lluviosa. La duración media del período de pupa varía durante el año (multivoltinas). La baja densidad de larvas al inicio de las lluvias podría deberse al estrés hídrico acumulado durante la estación seca; la defensa química y física de las hojas nuevas; la demora en la emergencia de los adultos y la actividad de depredadores y parasitoides. Probablemente el espacio libre de enemigos durante los tres primeros meses de la época seca favorece la abundancia de larvas en el campo.

We describe the seasonal abundance of caterpillars in the central Brazilian cerrado (savanna woodland) from 1991 to 1995 and discuss possible explanations for abundance variation. The climate is highly seasonal with a marked wet season between October and March. On 15% of a total of 10 800 censuses of host plants (nine species, three genera and three families) we found caterpillars feeding externally. We successfully reared 247 lepidopteran species (32 families), 61 % of which occurred at low density (fewer than four times). The frequency of plants with caterpillars increased sharply at the beginning of the dry season, in mid-April, and remained high until mid-July and then declined sharply, reaching its lowest point in the early-wet season (October). Some caterpillar species are present on food plants throughout the year, whereas others are highly seasonal, occurring only in the wet season. The duration of the pupal stage and its variance increased at the end of the wet season. Possible explanations for the low caterpillar density at the beginning of the rainy season include accumulated water stress in the late-dry season, leaf defenses, delay of adult emergence, and predator and parasitoid activities. The higher caterpillar abundance during the first half of the dry season may correspond to the availability of temporary enemy-free space.

A diversidade de Coleoptera foi estudada em três fisionomias de Cerrado lato sensu em Brasília-DF: campo de murundum (1), campo sujo (2) e cerrado sensu stricto (3). Em cada área, os insetos foram coletados por varredura em 2000 m em cada tipo de vegetação. Foram coletados 1.044 espécimes de 155 espécies, distribuídos em 15 famílias. A abundância variou de um a 441 espécime/espécie, com a maioria das espécies representada por um único espécime. Obteve-se uma baixa similaridade faunística entre as áreas, com alta percentagem de espécies restritas a uma única área. O índice de diversidade (Shannon - H'=1,87; H'=4,16; H'=3,17) obtido para as áreas 1, 2 e 3, respectivamente, sugere que as espécies não estão homogeneamente distribuídas. Os valores obtidos para tamanho de corpo (1,0 a 11,0 mm) evidenciam que a maioria das espécies e espécimes foram menores que 5 mm.

Coleopteran diversity was studied in three physionomies of Cerrado lato sensu in Brasília-DF: campo de murundum (1), campo sujo (2) and cerrado sensu stricto (3). In each area, insects were collected by sweep sampling on 2,000 m in each vegetation type. A total of 1,044 specimens of 155 species, distributed in 15 families were collected. The abundance varied from 1 to 441 specimens/species, with most species represented by a single specimen. We found a low faunistic similarity between areas, with high percentage of species restricted to only one area. The diversity index (Shannon - H'=1,87; H'=4,16; H'=3,17) obtained for the areas 1, 2 and 3, respectively, suggest that the species are not homogeneously distributed. The values obtained for body size (1,0 to 11,0 mm) showed most species and specimens were smaller than 5 mm.

Caterpillars of Cerconota achatina (Zeller, 1855) feed on lhe leaves of Byrsonima Rich in cerrado (savanna) of Brasília (Distrito Federal). They build shelters by tying leaves together with silk and frass. Within the leaf shelters the caterpillars form a tube of silk in which they feed. develop and pupate. In the laboratory the pupal stage is 14,4 days (sd=8,6: n=46). It was not possible to determine the age or numbers of instars of caterpillars in the wild. Of 93 caterpillars collected. 60% were feeding on B. cocclohifolia (Spr.) Kunth, 25% on B. crassa Nied. and 15% on B. verbascifolia [Rich. ex] Adr. & Juss. These numbers suggest a preference for B. coccolobifolia. Caterpillars of all size were found in every month of the year which suggest ovelapping generations and multivoltinism. They did not show a preference for new foliage and 75% of them were found on host-plants on wich less than 25% of leaves were young.