scholarly journals Host Specificity of Several Pseudacteon (Diptera: Phoridae) Parasites of Fire Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in South America

1995 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanford D. Porter ◽  
Harold G. Fowler ◽  
Sofia Campiolo ◽  
Marcos A. Pesquero
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Host Specificity ◽  
Fire Ants

scholarly journals A review of Hippeutister Reichensperger with new species from California and Costa Rica (Coleoptera: Histeridae: Hetaeriinae)

Zootaxa ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 1895 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
MICHAEL S. CATERINO ◽  
ALEXEY K. TISHECHKIN
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Costa Rica ◽  
South America ◽  
The Other ◽  
Fire Ants ◽  
North Central

The myrmecophilous genus Hippeutister Reichensperger, 1935, contains six species, known from scattered localities in North, Central and South America. Two of these, H. californicus n. sp. and H. solisi n. sp. are newly described herein. The other four are H. manicatus (Lewis) (=H. solenopsidis Reichensperger, syn. nov.), H. plaumanni Reichensperger, H. castaneus (Lewis), and H. amabilis (Wenzel). The genus is likely monophyletic, and is easily recognized by the presence of a very broad prosternal keel, which is deeply triangularly incised at the base. Species of Hippeutister are unusual among hetaeriine Histeridae in their occurrence in the nests of fire ants (Solenopsis spp.)

Developmental Rates and Host Specificity for Pseudacteon parasitoids (Diptera: Phoridae) of Fire Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Argentina

2002 ◽  
Vol 95 (6) ◽  
pp. 1151-1158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia J. Folgarait ◽  
Octavio A. Bruzzone ◽  
Richard J. W. Patrock ◽  
Lawrence E. Gilbert
Keyword(s):  
Host Specificity ◽  
Fire Ants ◽  
Developmental Rates

scholarly journals Host Specificity ofPseudacteon(Diptera: Phoridae) Parasitoids That AttackLinepithema(Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in South America

2001 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 742-747 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. Orr ◽  
S. H. Seike ◽  
W. W. Benson ◽  
D. L. Dahlsten
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Host Specificity

scholarly journals First identification of trombiculid mites (Acari: Trombiculidae) on rodents captured on Chiloé Island, an endemic region of scrub typhus in southern Chile

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerardo Acosta-Jamett ◽  
Esperanza Beltrami ◽  
María Carolina Silva de La Fuente ◽  
Constanza Martinez-Valdebenito ◽  
Thomas Weitzel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Host Specificity ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Hot Spots ◽  
Scrub Typhus ◽  
Rodent Species ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Southern Chile ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Trombiculid Mites

AbstractBackgroundScrub typhus in an emerging vector-borne zoonosis, caused by Orientia spp. and transmitted by larvae of trombiculid mites, called chiggers. It mainly occurs within a certain region of the Asia-Pacific, called tsutsugamushi triangle, where rodents are known as the most relevant hosts for the trombiculid vector. The disease has recently been discovered on Chiloé Island in southern Chile. Still, the reservoir(s) and vector(s) of the scrub typhus outside Asia-Pacific are unknown. The aim of the present work was to study the prevalence of chiggers on different rodent species captured in sites identified as probably hot spots of scrub typhus on Chiloé Island in southern Chile.Methodology/Principal FindingsDuring austral summer 2018, rodents were live-trapped in six sites and examined for chigger infestation. During a total of 4,713 trap-nights, 244 rodents of seven species were captured: the most abundant was Abrothrix olivacea. All study sites were rural areas on Chiloé Island, previously identified as localities of probable human infection with scrub typhus. Chiggers were detected on all seven rodent species with a 55% prevalence rate. Chiggers showed low host specificity and varied according to site specific host abundance. We identified trombiculids of three genera. Colicus was the most abundant chigger (93%), prevalent in five of six sites, followed by Quadraseta (7%) and Paratrombicula (7%), which were in only one site. Infestation rates showed site specific differences, which were statistically different using a GLM model with binomial errors.Conclusions/SignificanceThis study firstly reports the presence of different rodent-associated chigger mites in a region with endemic scrub typhus in southern Chile. Colicus and two other genera of mites were found with high infestation rates in sites previously identified as hot spots of scrub typhus, suggesting their role as vectors and reservoirs of this emerging zoonosis in South America.Author SummaryScrub typhus is a chigger-transmitted zoonotic infection, which is endemic in the tsutsugamushi triangle in Asia-Pacific. Recently, a first focus of scrub typhus in South America has been confirmed on Chiloé Island in southern Chile. Still, the vectors of scrub typhus in this region remain unknown. We undertook a survey to study the prevalence of chiggers on different rodent species in areas identified as probable hot spots of scrub typhus on Chiloé Island. The study showed that 55% of rodents were infested by trombiculids. Three chigger genera were identified, of which Colicus was the most abundant. Chiggers showed low host specificity, but spatial differences. This first demonstration of rodent-associated chigger mites in hot spots of scrub typhus suggests their possible role as vectors of this infection in Chile.

scholarly journals Biology of Pseudacteon Decapitating Flies (Diptera: Phoridae) That Parasitize Ants of the Solenopsis saevissima Complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in South America

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Chen ◽  
Sanford D. Porter
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
South America ◽  
Sympatric Species ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Fire Ants ◽  
South American ◽  
Active Time ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Phorid Flies ◽  
Imported Fire Ants

Pseudacteon flies (Diptera: Phoridae) parasitize individual ant workers, causing decapitation of the host during pupariation. Phorid flies that attack South American fire ants in the Solenopsis saevissima (Smith) complex are distributed across a wide range of habitats and climates associated with the geographical range of their hosts. Sympatric species sharing the same hosts often partition niche resources by season, active time of day, host size, and/or different host activities. They have the potential of being used for biological control of the imported fire ants in North America, Australia, and Asia.

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