Phytophagous mites and insects in the Recreational and Cultural Tezozómoc park trees, Azcapotzalco, Mexico City

Abstract

Urban and suburban trees are essential elements in the character of populated areas as they have the capacity to transform cities, providing environmental, aesthetic, cultural and economic benefits. In Mexico City, Tezozomoc Park is very important for the neighbors in the northern area because it has an artificial central lake surrounded by abundant vegetation. However, its trees have been damaged by different, which led to in this study, in which phytophagous insects and mites were detected and determined. For the diagnosis, 10 % of the total frequency of the dominant tree and shrub species was sampled, while the total of the individuals was considered for the low frequency host species. The damages caused by the organisms were: chlorosis, gills or cecidia, defoliation, damage to phloem and bark. Samples were obtained by direct collection in vials with 70 % alcohol. Most of the specimens collected were insects and sap sucking mites; the secondary damage associated with them was the formation of fumagins. The tree species most susceptible to pests was Salix bonplandiana, with 10 species of phytophagous that represented 19 % of the total found on the trees in the park. Derived from this study, the Eulophidae wasp and gill-forming aphelinidae in S. bonplandiana, the Specularius impressithorax bruch and the seed borer in Erythrina coralloides are recorded for the first time.