Parasitism of the leaf‐cutting ant Atta bisphaerica by phorid flies: biology and seasonal and inter‐colonial parasitism rates

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos A.L. Bragança ◽  
Hendria C. Martins ◽  
Rafael J. Oliveira ◽  
Terezinha M.C. Della Lucia
Keyword(s):  
Parasitism Rates ◽  
Leaf Cutting ◽  
Phorid Flies

Phorid Flies Parasitizing Leaf-Cutting Ants: Their Occurrence, Parasitism Rates, Biology and the First Account of Multiparasitism

Sociobiology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 1015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos Antonio Lima Bragança ◽  
Filipe Viegas Arruda ◽  
Lana Rubia Rocha Souza ◽  
Hendria Cirqueira Martins ◽  
Terezinha Maria Castro Della Lucia
Keyword(s):  
Life Span ◽  
Atta Sexdens ◽  
Atta Laevigata ◽  
Central Brazil ◽  
Parasitism Rates ◽  
Leaf Cutting ◽  
Phorid Flies ◽  
First Time

The leaf-cutting ants Atta sexdens (Linnaeus) and Atta laevigata (Smith) were parasitized by the following phorid flies: Apocephalus attophilus Borgmeier, Apocephalus vicosae Disney, Myrmosicarius grandicornis Borgmeier and species of Eibesfeldtphora Disney. It is also related here that the area of occurrence of phorids parasitizing A. sexdens was extended to include Central Brazil. The rate of parasitism on A. sexdens was three times lower than the rate found on A. laevigata; most common flies were, respectively, M. grandicornis in A. sexdens and A. attophilus in A. laevigata. This last phorid showed the shortest life span but the higher percentage of emergence. Multiparasitism on workers of A. sexdens and of A. laevigata involving three combinations of four phorid species was rare and is here related for the first time for leaf-cutting ants.

scholarly journals Seasonal Parasitism of the Leaf-Cutting Ant Atta sexdens Linnaeus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) by Phorid Flies (Diptera: Phoridae) in a Brazilian Cerrado-Atlantic Forest Ecotone

2020 ◽  
Vol 103 (1) ◽  
pp. 112
Author(s):  
Cliver Fernandes Farder-Gomes ◽  
Marco Antônio de Oliveira ◽  
Ana Carolina Ribeiro de Oliveira ◽  
Pollyana Leão Gonçalves ◽  
Evaldo Martins Pires ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Brazilian Cerrado ◽  
Atta Sexdens ◽  
Leaf Cutting ◽  
Phorid Flies ◽  
Forest Ecotone

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

2016 ◽  
Vol 107 (4) ◽  
pp. 487-492 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.F. Farder-Gomes ◽  
M.A. Oliveira ◽  
P.L. Gonçalves ◽  
L.M. Gontijo ◽  
J.C. Zanuncio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Head Capsule ◽  
Host Size ◽  
Atta Sexdens ◽  
Offspring Sex Ratio ◽  
Head Capsule Width ◽  
Parasitism Rates ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Leaf Cutting

AbstractThe 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.

Parasitoid phorid flies of leaf-cutting ants are negatively affected by loss of forest cover

2017 ◽  
Vol 164 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.A. Barrera ◽  
E.L. Becker ◽  
L. Elizalde ◽  
J.M. Queiroz
Keyword(s):  
Forest Cover ◽  
Leaf Cutting ◽  
Phorid Flies

Antibiotic-producing bacteria associated with the nests of the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa

Planta Medica ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 81 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
EA Silva-Junior ◽  
CR Paludo ◽  
FS Nascimento ◽  
CR Currie ◽  
J Clardy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atta Sexdens ◽  
Atta Sexdens Rubropilosa ◽  
Leaf Cutting

Traffic Dynamics of the Leaf-Cutting Ant, Atta cephalotes

2002 ◽  
Vol 159 (3) ◽  
pp. 283
Author(s):  
Burd ◽  
Archer ◽  
Aranwela ◽  
Stradling
Keyword(s):  
Atta Cephalotes ◽  
Traffic Dynamics ◽  
Leaf Cutting

scholarly journals Fungal-Fungal Interactions in Leaf-Cutting Ant Agriculture

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunshine A. Van Bael ◽  
Catalina Estrada ◽  
William T. Wcislo
Keyword(s):  
Plant Traits ◽  
Secondary Compounds ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ecological Interactions ◽  
Tropical Plants ◽  
Symbiotic Relationships ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Symbiotic Fungi ◽  
Leaf Cutting ◽  
Fungal Interactions

Many organisms participate in symbiotic relationships with other organisms, yet studies of symbioses typically have focused on the reciprocal costs and benefits within a particular host-symbiont pair. Recent studies indicate that many ecological interactions involve alliances of symbionts acting together as mutualistic consortia against other consortia. Such interacting consortia are likely to be widespread in nature, even if the interactions often occur in a cryptic fashion. Little theory and empirical data exist concerning how these complex interactions shape ecological outcomes in nature. Here, we review recent work on fungal-fungal interactions between two consortia: (i) leaf-cutting ants and their symbiotic fungi (the latter grown as a food crop by the former) and (ii) tropical plants and their foliar endophytes (the cryptic symbiotic fungi within leaves of the former). Plant characteristics (e.g., secondary compounds or leaf physical properties of leaves) are involved in leaf-cutting ant preferences, and a synthesis of published information suggests that these plant traits could be modified by fungal presence. We discuss potential mechanisms for how fungal-fungal interactions proceed in the leaf-cutting ant agriculture and suggest themes for future research.

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