Behavior of exudivorous insects on plants in Zulia State, Venezuela

Abstract

The research expands the information on exudivory as an animal-plant interaction whose studies and scientific knowledge generated are very scarce in the country. The behavior of exudivorous insects on plants in the state of Zulia, Venezuela, was determined. The research was conducted in the municipalities Maracaibo and Santa Rita, Zulia state, Venezuela during the drought period (January-March, 2017). Exudate production was stimulated by practicing stem wounding. Two weekly visits to the plants with exudates were carried out (during three weeks), between 9:00 am and 12:00 noon, and the displacement (traverses) of the insects on the exudate, its collection, storage in body regions and ingestion (consumption) of the exudate were noted. Nine morphospecies were taxonomically determined, such as Polybia occidentalis, Dysdercus sp., a Curculionidae beetle, Componotus sp., Crematogaster sp. and Zacriptocerus sp. did not ingest or collect exudates of Cochlospermum vitifolium or Sterculia apetala. Trigona sp. 1 took the exudate of Bursera tomentosa, formed small spheres and collected it on the dorsal part of its third pair of legs, while Trigona sp. 2 probably fed on the gum of Eucalyptus camaldulensis. Melipona favosa collected Mangifera indica exudate on its hind legs and consumed it. It was concluded that there are exudate visitor species, M. favosa is exudivorous, while Trigona sp. 1 collected the exudate on its body and is estimated to use it in the nest.