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Abstract

The anatomy of leaves, petioles and/or stems in five species of aquatic macrophytes (Eichhornia crassipes, E. azurea, Pontederia cordata (Pontederiaceae), Sagittaria montevidensis (Alismataceae) and Ludwigia peploides (Onagraceae)) were evaluated in respect to alimentation and oviposition of the grasshopper C. aquaticum. Plants were collected at Curitiba, Brazil and Corrientes, Argentina. Leaves and petioles, previously fixed in FAA 70, were prepared according to standard techniques of Scanning Electron Microscopy. Except for L. peploides, leaves and petioles of the studied species presented well developed aerenchyma. The stoloniferous stem of L. peploides had an aerenchymatous cortex but the medulla was compact. The petioles were poorly developed. Based on plant morphology, the species studied can potentially serve for alimentation and, except L. peploides, for oviposition of C. aquaticum. However, the preference of this grasshopper for Pontederiaceae species appears to involve other factors than anatomical characteristics, which need further investigation.