Neotropical Insect Galls

The book brings to light the most recent findings on the biogeography, biodiversity, host plant induction and natural history of gall inducing insects in the Neotropical region. We attempt to summarize the work done so far in the region, promote several syntheses on many aspects such as host induction, host specialization, distribution among the several vegetation types and zones, the origin of super hosts and the mechanisms leading to geographical patterns in their distribution. Furthermore, the book constructs new perspectives for deeper understanding of galling insect evolutionary ecology and biogeopgraphy in the region.

This book focuses on one of the most sophisticated guild herbivorous insects, the gall inducing insects. They trespass the defensive lines of their host plants, engineer the host to provide their larvae with shelter against the external harsh environment and natural enemies and in addition provide better food to their larvae. Not surprisingly the gall is often regarded as an extended phenotype of the inducing insect. The reader will find in this book the most updated ecological and evolutionary information on the biogeopgraphy of galling insects in the New World Tropics. Topics range from the very first reactions of the host plant cells to the gall inducing larvae up to the natural enemies that control galling populations, including galling insect relationships with habitats that ultimately result in their spatial distribution and diversity. The book also addresses many important questions in galling studies, such as the role of superhosts, the host plant defenses to galling, and the importance of habitat harshness at the canopy of rain forests, among many other issues. Finally, the book also describes the galling richness in many different Neotropical vegetation types. The reader will find that the information depicted helps to challenge former hypohteses on their geography and diversity, provides new syntheses and open new perspsectives for the study of this spectacular herbivore guild.