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

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.

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

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

scholarly journals Sympodiomyces attinorum sp. nov., a yeast species associated with nests of the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens

2004 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 1891-1894 ◽  
Author(s):  
Solange C. Carreiro ◽  
Fernando C. Pagnocca ◽  
Maurício Bacci ◽  
Marc-André Lachance ◽  
Odair C. Bueno ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Yeast Species ◽  
Novel Species ◽  
Large Subunit ◽  
Growth Characteristics ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Atta Sexdens ◽  
Leaf Cutting ◽  
Large Subunit Rrna ◽  
Waste Deposit

Four strains of a novel yeast species were isolated from laboratory nests of the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens in Brazil. Three strains were found in older sponges and one was in a waste deposit in the ant nests. Sequencing of the D1/D2 region of the large-subunit rRNA gene showed that the novel species, named Sympodiomyces attinorum sp. nov., is phylogenetically related to Sympodiomyces parvus. Unlike Sympodiomyces parvus, Sympodiomyces attinorum can ferment glucose, assimilate methyl α-d-glucoside, salicin and citrate, and grow at 37 °C, thus enabling these two species to be distinguished. Differentiation from other related species is possible on the basis of other growth characteristics. The type strain of Sympodiomyces attinorum is UNESP-S156T (=CBS 9734T=NRRL Y-27639T).

scholarly journals Distribution of Atta (Hymenoptera - Formicidae) in "terra-firme" rain forest of Central Amazonia: density, species composition and preliminary results on effects of forest fragmentation

1988 ◽  
Vol 18 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 309-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heraldo Luís de Vasconcelos
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Rain Forest ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Forest Fragment ◽  
Terra Firme ◽  
Atta Sexdens ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Continuous Forest ◽  
Leaf Cutting

One hundred and fourteen hectares of a "terra-fiirme" rain forest 70 km north of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil, were surveyed for leaf-cutting ant colonies (Atta spp). One half of this area was in isolated forest fragments (surrounded by pastures or second growth) of two sizes: 1 and 10 ha. The other half was in non-isolated fragments (connected to a large parch of forest) of the same sizes. Only two species occured in this forest: Atta sexdens sexdens L. and A. cepfhalotes L. The first was the most abundant species with a mean density of 0.35 colonies per ha. The mean density of A. cephalotes colonies was 0.03 per ha. The density of colonies was not significantly different between the isolated fragments and the continuous forest. Furthermore, the species composition did not change with isolation. However, pre-isolation data and long term monitoring are necessary to conclude that the isolation of a forest fragment has no effect upon Atta colonies. The non-uniform spatial distribution of Atta colonics within the "terra-firme" forest must be taken into account when selecting conservation areas in the Amazon, in order to preserve this important group of ants together with their native habitat.

scholarly journals BIOLOGICAL CONTROL IN LEAF-CUTTING ANTS, Atta sexdens (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE), USING PATHOGENIC FUNGI

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tarcísio Marcos Macedo Mota Filho ◽  
Luis Eduardo Pontes Stefanelli ◽  
Roberto da Silva Camargo ◽  
Carlos Alberto Oliveira de Matos ◽  
Luiz Carlos Forti
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Chemical Control ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
The Other ◽  
Fungus Garden ◽  
Atta Sexdens ◽  
Main Method ◽  
New Methods ◽  
Leaf Cutting

ABSTRACT Chemical control using toxic baits containing the active ingredient sulfluramid at 0.3% (w/w) is the main method for controlling leaf-cutting ants of the genera Atta and Acromyrmex. However, since 2009, when sulfluramid was included in Annex B of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, there has been an intense search for new methods that are efficient in controlling these insects. Among said new methods, biological control using pathogenic fungi has shown promising results in laboratory conditions. The objective of this study, given the context presented, was to assess the potential of the fungi Beauveria bassiana and Trichoderma harzianum in controlling Atta sexdens. Colonies of A. sexdens were exposed to the fungi by means of formulated baits provided in a foraging chamber, or of suspensions sprayed on the fungus garden, and had their behavioral changes recorded for 21 days. For both formulations, concentrations of 10 and 20% (w/w) of the fungi being studied were used. The results allowed concluding that baits containing 10 and 20% (w/w) of the fungi B. bassiana and T. harzianum were not efficient in controlling colonies of A sexdens. On the other hand, spraying suspensions of 20% (w/w) of B. bassiana and 10% and 20% (w/w) of T. harzianum was efficient and resulted in 100% mortality of the colonies 11, 9 and 7 days after application, respectively. These findings indicate that the fungi B. bassiana and T. harzianum are promising as agents for the control of A. sexdens colonies, when sprayed on the fungus garden, although there are still some challenges as to their use related to the development of technologies for the application of the pathogen.

Dispersal of Miconia argentea seeds by the leaf-cutting ant Atta colombica

1998 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 705-710 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. W. Dalling ◽  
Rainer Wirth
Keyword(s):  
Seedling Recruitment ◽  
Atta Cephalotes ◽  
Brazilian Cerrado ◽  
Atta Laevigata ◽  
Cerrado Vegetation ◽  
Brosimum Alicastrum ◽  
Leaf Cutting ◽  
Single Night ◽  
Local Recruitment ◽  
Atta Colombica

While leaf-cutter ants are thought to collect mainly vegetative plant material, they have also been observed collecting seeds or fruit parts on the forest floor (Alvarez-Buylla & Martínez-Ramos 1990, Kaspari 1996). For example, leaf-cutter ants have been observed carrying considerable numbers of Brosimum alicastrum Sw. and Cecropia spp. seeds into their nests (Wirth 1996) and Leal & Oliveira (1998; pers. comm.) found them foraging on the fruits and seeds of 19 different species of Brazilian cerrado vegetation, including six Miconia species. Under some circumstances, seed removal and relocation by leaf cutter ants might even be sufficient to affect local recruitment patterns of trees. For example, in Costa Rica, Atta cephalotes can remove all fallen fig fruit from beneath a Ficus hondurensis crown in a single night (Roberts & Heithaus 1986), while in Venezuela, seedling recruitment of the savanna tree Tapirira velutinifolia was positively associated with the seed harvesting and seed cleaning activities of the ant Atta laevigata (Farji Brenner & Silva 1996).

scholarly journals Phenological Variation Within and Among Populations of Plathymenia reticulata in Brazilian Cerrado, the Atlantic Forest and Transitional Sites

2005 ◽  
Vol 96 (3) ◽  
pp. 445-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
MAÍRA FIGUEIREDO GOULART ◽  
JOSÉ PIRES LEMOS FILHO ◽  
MARIA BERNADETE LOVATO
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Brazilian Cerrado
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document