In order to describe the species composition, temporal occurrence and ecological aspects of larvae associated with five plant species: Erythroxylum ovalifolium and E. subsessile (Erythroxylaceae), Manilkara subsericea (Sapotaceae), Protium icicariba and P. heptaphyllum (Burseraceae), 1.680 plants were bimonthly surveyed from July of 2003 to August of 2005 in the Parque Nacional da Restinga de Jurubatiba (PNRJ). Thirty two species of Lepidoptera were reared from these five host plants, and the most abundant four species belonged to the Elachistidae. Manilkara subsericea showed the greatest number of Lepidoptera species associated, 14 species, followed by E. ovalifolium (10 species), P. icicariba (seven species), E. subsessile (six species) and P. heptaphyllum (two species). Only one out of the 32 species of Lepidoptera was gregarious and 56% used any kind of shelter to get food or for defence. Six Lepidoptera species (27%) were polyphagous, three (14%) oligophagous and 13 (59%) had just only one host plant species recorded. The most abundant species of moths exhibitted two reproductives periods in the year, predominantly in winter and autumn. Abiotic factors, such as strong insolation during spring and summer in the open scrub vegetation of restinga, may be very important in producing this temporal pattern of insect reproduction, but we cannot neglect biotic factors like natural enemies.
Elachistidae; host record; insect-plant interactions; specificity
