Temporal Variation of Membracidae (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha) Composition in Areas of Caatinga with Different Vegetation Structures

Abstract

The diversity of membracids in different Caatinga vegetation structures (preserved, intermediate and degraded) was studied during dry and rainy seasons in 2006. We recorded 1,107 individuals, belonging to 13 species, mostly during the rainy season (693). Melusinella nervosa (Fairmaire, 1846), Enchenopa brasiliensis Strümpel, 2007 and E. eunicea Creão-Duarte & Rothéa, 2007 were the most abundant species, although this pattern varied in the three areas. M. nervosa and E. brasiliensis were the most abundant during the rainy and dry seasons, respectively, due to the resistance of its main host plant to seasonality and climate rigors. Thrasymedes pallescens (Stål, 1869) was the species least affected by seasonality, with 51.3% and 48.7% of the specimens collected in the rainy and dry seasons, respectively, followed by E. eunicea, with 65.6% and 34.4%. A cluster analysis showed that membracids from preserved areas in the dry season were more related to the ones from rainy season, highlighting the importance of these areas in the Caatinga for maintenance of these insects, which are strongly associated with their host plants.