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Reproductive ecology of phorid parasitoids in relation to the head size of leaf-cutting ants Atta sexdens Forel

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 2016

C.F. Farder-Gomes ,
M.A. Oliveira ,
P.L. Gonçalves ,
L.M. Gontijo ,
J.C. Zanuncio ,
M.A.L. Bragança  and
E.M. Pires
C.F. Farder-Gomes*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil
M.A. Oliveira
Affiliation:
Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, campus UFV Florestal, Florestal, Minas Gerais, Brasil
P.L. Gonçalves
Affiliation:
Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, campus UFV Florestal, Florestal, Minas Gerais, Brasil
L.M. Gontijo
Affiliation:
Instituto de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, campus UFV Florestal, Florestal, Minas Gerais, Brasil
J.C. Zanuncio
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil
M.A.L. Bragança
Affiliation:
Curso de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Tocantins, Porto Nacional, Tocantins, Brasil
E.M. Pires
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, campus Sinop, Sinop, Mato Grosso, Brasil
*
*Author for correspondence Phone/fax: +55 31 3536-3367 E-mail: cliver.fernandes@ufv.br
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Abstract

The leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is one of the most damaging agricultural pests in the Neotropics. Management strategies predominantly rely on the use of general insecticides. What is needed are more species-specific and environmentally friendly options. Parasitioids such as phorid flies (Diptera: Phoridae) may be one such option, but a greater understanding of the ecology of the flies and their ant hosts is essential to devise biological control strategies. Here we report parasitism rates, ant host size, parasitoid abundance per host and resultant sex ratios of two phorid species Apocephalus attophilus Borgmeier and Eibesfeldtphora tonhascai Brown parasitizing A.sexdens. The two species achieved parasitism rates of 1.48 and 1.46%, respectively and the pupal period was 14.7 ± 1.1 days and 22.1 ± 2.8 days, respectively. There was no significant difference between the head capsule width of ants parasitized by either A. attophilus or E. tonhascai. Likewise, there was no significant effect between the head capsule width of parasitized and unparasitized ants for both species. A significant positive correlation was found between the head capsule width of the parasitized ants and the number of adult parasitoids A. attophilus emerged. Ants parasitized by E. tonhascai survived significantly longer than those parasitized by A. attophilus. There was no significant effect of ant head width on the sex ratio of the offspring of either parasitoid species and no significant difference in the sex ratio (male: female) of their offspring. In summary, these data addressed here are important steps when considering natural enemies for biological control. Studying survival of the parasitized ants, parasitoid offspring sex ratio and host size preference allows for a better understanding of ant natural biological control in the field and can help in rearing of A. attophilus and E. tonhascai in laboratory.

Keywords

Apocephalus attophilusEibesfeldtphora tonhascaileaf-cutting antsparasitoidsPhoridaehead size
Type
Research Papers
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 107 , Issue 4 , August 2017 , pp. 487 - 492
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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