Recent decades have seen increased research interest in the processes and mechanisms related to insect gall richness and host plants. The data set provided here includes 968 records of interactions between galling insects and host plants for the Cerrado biome. The data set comprises 505 species of 222 genera and 67 families of host plants. The botanical families most represented in the data set are Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Myrtaceae, Malpighiaceae, and Melastomataceae, which account for ~48.5% of all records and 52% of the total number of species. The gall‐inducing insects listed in the data set include 48 species of Cecidomyiidae and one species of Tephritidae. This data set is the first to compile inventories of plant‐galling insect communities and information about the diversity and distribution of insect galls and their host plants in the Cerrado. The data set reveals knowledge gaps and opportunities for future research on patterns of diversity and distribution, and provides a basis for generating and testing new ecological hypotheses. Please cite this data paper when using the current data in publications and let us know how the data are used in the publications. There are no copyright restrictions.

Variations in plant genotypes and phenotypes are expressed in ways that lead to the development of defensive abilities against herbivory. Induced defenses are mechanisms that affect herbivore insect preferences and performance. We evaluated the performance of resistant and susceptible phenotypes of Bauhinia brevipes (Fabaceae) against attacks by the gall-inducing insect Schizomyia macrocapillata (Diptera). We hypothesized that there is a positive relationship between resistance to S. macrocapillata and host plant performance because resistance can have a high adaptive value. We evaluated plant architecture, nutritional leaf quality, leaf fluctuating asymmetry, and reproductive capacity between phenotypes. Plant performance was evaluated at three ontogenetic stages: seed, seedling, and juvenile. Overall, there were no differences in vegetative and reproductive performance or asymmetry between the resistant and susceptible mature plants. We found no relationship between leaf nutritional quality and resistance to S. macrocapillata. Plant performance was consistent across ontogeny for both phenotypes, except for five variables. Contrary to our expectations, the susceptible plants performed equally well or better than the resistant plants, suggesting that tolerance and overcompensation to herbivory in B. brevipes may be mediated by induced defense. Our study highlights the importance of multiple layers of plant defense against herbivory, where plant tolerance acts as a secondary barrier in plants susceptible to gall-inducing insects.