Plant galls are induced by the physicochemical interactions between plants and gall-inducing organisms, including insects, mites, nematodes, fungi, viruses and bacteria. To benefit their offspring, gallers induce plants to produce better resources that are physically and chemically different from normal organs. Therefore, galls are attractive resources not only for gallers but also for other organisms. Galls are inhabited by predators, parasitoids, cecidophages and successori, resulting in diverse communities on galls. We have studied utilization of galls by various types of insects.

Publications

Sugiura, S. (2010) Associations of leaf miners and leaf gallers with island plants of different residency histories. Journal of Biogeography, 37(2):237-244.

Sugiura, S. and Yamazaki, K. (2009) Gall-attacking behavior in phytophagous insects, with emphasis on Coleoptera and Lepidoptera. Terrestrial Arthropod Reviews, 2: 41-61. (Invited review)