Thrips species (Insecta: Thysanoptera) associated with flowers in a restinga fragment in northeastern Brazil

Abstract With the growing volume of research involving Thysanoptera in Brazil, studies were carried out to improve our understanding of the diversity of thrips in areas where the fauna has historically been neglected. Accordingly, we recorded the diversity of thrips (Insecta: Thysanoptera) associated with a restinga fragment located on the campus of the State University of Ceará (UECE), Fortaleza, Ceará state, and computed the estimated richness and diversity indices. Samples were collected from 2011 through 2013 from flowers of 86 plant species. The material was taken to the Laboratory of Insect-Plant Interaction, where thrips were screened under stereomicroscope. We collected 456 adults and 58 immatures, representing 14 species, in addition to one unidentified species of Treherniella. Microcephalothrips abdominalis was found on a large number of host plants, and Frankliniella insularis was the most common species. About two-thirds of the total richness of thrips species was associated with three plant families (Amaranthaceae, Caesalpiniaceae and Poaceae); six thrips species were each associated with only one plant species. The richness of the species collected was close to that estimated by Bootstrap and Jackknife 1 analysis. The Shannon-Wiener (H’) and Simpson (D) diversity indexes were 1,7607 and 0.7769, respectively. Although the species are common, 46 new associations between plant species and thrips were established, 13 of which are true host associations, which demonstrates the importance of coastal vegetation in maintaining populations of thrips.

摘要 随着巴西蓟马目（Thysanoptera）相关研究的持续增多，为加深对动物区系长期被忽视区域内蓟马多样性的认知，相关研究陆续开展。据此，我们对位于塞阿拉州福塔莱萨市塞阿拉州立大学（UECE）校园内的一处滨海砂生植被片段所伴生的蓟马（昆虫纲：蓟马目）多样性进行了调查，并计算了预估物种丰富度与多样性指数。
样本采集于2011年至2013年间，覆盖86种植物的花部组织。采集的标本被送至昆虫-植物相互作用实验室，在体视显微镜下完成蓟马的分拣与鉴定。本次调查共采集到成虫456头、若虫58头，隶属于14个物种，此外还发现1个未鉴定的Treherniella属物种。
小头蓟马（Microcephalothrips abdominalis）在多种寄主植物上均有分布，而海岛富氏蓟马（Frankliniella insularis）为最优势物种。约三分之二的蓟马物种丰富度集中于苋科、云实科与禾本科3个植物科内；另有6种蓟马仅与单一植物物种存在关联。
本次采集得到的物种丰富度与自助法（Bootstrap）及刀切法1（Jackknife 1）的预估结果较为吻合。香农-威纳（H’）与辛普森（D）多样性指数分别为1.7607与0.7769。
尽管本次记录的蓟马多为常见物种，但本研究共建立了46种植物与蓟马之间的新关联，其中13种为真正的寄主关联，这表明滨海砂生植被在维持蓟马种群方面具有重要意义。