Herbivory of specific insects Cornops aquaticum (Orthoptera: Acrididae) and Neochetina (Coleoptera: Erirhinidae): a comparison between host species and growth periods of plant populations

Eichhornia crassipes and Eichhornia azurea are common invasive aquatic plants in Neotropical wetlands. These plants share species for their biological control, such as curculionoids of the genus Neochetina and the acridium Cornops aquaticum. In this study the herbivory of these specific insects was analyzed in leaves of E. azurea and E. crassipes, in period of growth and decay of plant populations; likewise, the herbivory of C. aquaticum was compared in both species of plants. Sampling was taken in 2 wetlands in the Argentine northeast, between January and February 2006 (growth period) and August 2006 (period of decay). At each sampling date, leaf samples of E. azurea and E. crassipes were collected. The herbivory was measured as the damaged leaf area and percentage of the leaf area damaged by herbivores. The herbivory was higher in growth period than in the decay in the 2 host species. The herbivory of C. aquaticum in the decay period was 0.34% in E. azurea and 0.44% in E. crassipes; in the growing period the damage caused by this acridium was higher in E. azurea (16.19%) than in E. crassipes (6.92%). During the decay period, only in E. crassipes, the herbivory by C. aquaticum was lower than that of the Neochetina species. The effectiveness of the herbivory varied between periods of population growth of the plants. The results show the importance of considering the combined action of these herbivores in the biological control of these aquatic plants. (C) 2017 Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Instituto de Biologia.