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Pérez-Lachaud G, Degallier N, Gomy Y, Elías-Gutiérrez M, Rocha FH, Lachaud JP. Cohabitation with aggressive hosts: description of a new microhisterid species in nests of a ponerine ant with ecological notes. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18484. [PMID: 37898669 PMCID: PMC10613264 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45692-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023] Open
Abstract
A new clown beetle species, Bacanius neoponerae, is described from Mexican nests of the arboreal ponerine ant Neoponera villosa found in the tank bromeliad Aechmea bracteata. Adult beetles were found in brood chambers or inner refuse piles, but also outside the ant nests, in decaying organic matter between the bromeliad leaves. No direct interactions between ants and microhisterid beetles could be observed. Several lines of evidence suggest a close relationship either with the ants, specific microhabitats within the ant nests or the bromeliads. Sample site elevation, colony size, monthly rainfall and collecting site were the main variables predicting the association. Almost half of the N. villosa colonies were associated with the microhisterids, and larger colonies favored their presence, especially during the driest months of the year. Two specimens were found in a nest of another ant species, Camponotus atriceps, also inhabiting A. bracteata. The new species is the seventh of the genus Bacanius reported from Mexico. This is the second time a species of this genus is associated with ants, and the fourth record of a histerid beetle cohabiting with ponerine ants. The small size of these beetles and their very protective body structure may facilitate their cohabitation with such aggressive hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Pérez-Lachaud
- Departamento de Conservación de la Biodiversidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Avenida Centenario Km 5.5, Chetumal, Mexico.
| | | | | | - Manuel Elías-Gutiérrez
- Departamento de Ecología y Sistemática Acuática, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Avenida Centenario Km 5.5, Chetumal, Mexico
| | - Franklin H Rocha
- Departamento de Conservación de la Biodiversidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Avenida Centenario Km 5.5, Chetumal, Mexico
- Present Address: Dpto. Apicultura, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, México
| | - Jean-Paul Lachaud
- Departamento de Conservación de la Biodiversidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Avenida Centenario Km 5.5, Chetumal, Mexico.
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2
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Pérez-Lachaud G, Rocha FH, Pozo C, Kaminski LA, Seraphim N, Lachaud JP. A new ant-butterfly symbiosis in the forest canopy fills an evolutionary gap. Sci Rep 2021; 11:20770. [PMID: 34675260 PMCID: PMC8531015 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00274-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Myrmecophilous butterflies can establish complex symbiotic relationships with ants. A caterpillar wandering among the brood of the aggressive ponerine ant Neoponera villosa was found inside the core of a nest built in the myrmecophytic bromeliad Aechmea bracteata. This is the first caterpillar found living inside a ponerine ant nest. Its DNA barcode was sequenced, and an integrative approach was used to identify it as Pseudonymphidia agave, a poorly known member of the subtribe Pachythonina in the riodinid tribe Nymphidiini. The cuticle of the tank-like caterpillar lacks projections or tubercles and is covered dorsally by specialized flat setae that form an armor of small plates. Ant-organs potentially related to caterpillar-ant signaling, such as perforated cupola organs and tentacle nectary organs, are present. These morphological traits, together with evidence of social integration (direct contact with host brood, protective morphology, slow movement, no host aggressiveness), suggest that P. agave is a symbiotic, social parasite of N. villosa, preying on its host brood. However, several knowledge gaps remain, including oviposition site, dependence on bromeliad association, steps to colony integration, and larval diet through development. Carnivory has been reported in all known members of the subtribe Pachythonina (caterpillars prey on honeydew-producing hemipterans) suggesting a shift to myrmecophagy inside the ant nests as a possible evolutionary transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Pérez-Lachaud
- Departamento de Conservación de La Biodiversidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Avenida Centenario Km 5.5, 77014, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico.
| | - Franklin H Rocha
- Departamento de Conservación de La Biodiversidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Avenida Centenario Km 5.5, 77014, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico
- Departamento de Apicultura, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - Carmen Pozo
- Departamento de Conservación de La Biodiversidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Avenida Centenario Km 5.5, 77014, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico
| | - Lucas A Kaminski
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Noemy Seraphim
- Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jean-Paul Lachaud
- Departamento de Conservación de La Biodiversidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Avenida Centenario Km 5.5, 77014, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico.
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France.
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3
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López-García GP, Reemer M, Debandi G, Mengual X. New information about the third stage larva and larval habitat of Microdon (Chymophila) bruchi Shannon, 1927 (Diptera, Syrphidae) from Argentina. J NAT HIST 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2020.1746847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo P. López-García
- Laboratorio de Entomología, Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de Zonas Áridas (CONICET), Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Menno Reemer
- European Invertebrate Survey, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Guillermo Debandi
- Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Junín, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Ximo Mengual
- Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Leibniz-Institut für Biodiversität der Tiere, Bonn, Germany
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4
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Adams RMM, Wells RL, Yanoviak SP, Frost CJ, Fox EGP. Interspecific Eavesdropping on Ant Chemical Communication. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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5
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A world review of reported myiases caused by flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae), including the first case of human myiasis from Palpada scutellaris (Fabricius, 1805). Parasitol Res 2020; 119:815-840. [PMID: 32006229 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-020-06616-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Rat-tailed larvae of the syrphid species Palpada scutellaris (Fabricius, 1805) are documented causing an enteric human myiasis in Costa Rica. This is the first time that the genus Palpada is recorded as a human myiasis agent. We report a 68-year-old woman with intestinal pain and bloody diarrhea with several live Palpada larvae present in the stool. Using molecular techniques (DNA barcodes) and both electronic and optical microscopy to study the external morphology, the preimaginal stages of the fly were unambiguously identified. An identification key to all syrphid genera actually known as agents of human and animal myiases is provided for larvae, puparia, and adults. Moreover, a critical world review of more than 100 references of Syrphidae as myiasis agents is also given, with emphasis on the species with rat-tailed larvae.
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6
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Bragança MAL, Acácio RS, Arruda FVD, Pesquero MA. An Unprecedented Record of Parasitoidism of Formicidae by a Sarcophagid Fly. BIOTA NEOTROPICA 2020. [DOI: 10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2020-1015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract: The first case of parasitoidism of a Myrmicinae ant by a sarcophagid fly has been observed in the Brazilian Cerrado. The larva of a Helicobia Coquillet (Sarcophagidae) specimen fed on head tissues of an Atta laevigata Smith, 1858 soldier and an adult male fly emerged from a puparium formed outside the host.
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7
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Skevington JH, Young AD, Locke MM, Moran KM. New Syrphidae (Diptera) of North-eastern North America. Biodivers Data J 2019; 7:e36673. [PMID: 31543695 PMCID: PMC6736894 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.7.e36673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This paper describes 11 of 18 new species recognised in the recent book, "Field Guide to the Flower Flies of Northeastern North America". Four species are omitted as they need to be described in the context of a revision (three Cheilosia and a Palpada species) and three other species (one Neoascia and two Xylota) will be described by F. Christian Thompson in a planned publication. Six of the new species have been recognised for decades and were treated by J. Richard Vockeroth in unpublished notes or by Thompson in his unpublished but widely distributed "A conspectus of the flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) of the Nearctic Region". Five of the 11 species were discovered during the preparation of the Field Guide. Eight of the 11 have DNA barcodes available that support the morphology. New information New species treated in this paper include: Anasimyiadiffusa Locke, Skevington and Vockeroth (Smooth-legged Swamp Fly), Anasimyiamatutina Locke, Skevington and Vockeroth (Small-spotted Swamp Fly), Brachyopacaesariata Moran and Skevington (Plain-winged Sapeater), Brachyopacummingi Moran and Skevington (Somber Sapeater), Hammerschmidtiasedmani Vockeroth, Moran and Skevington (Pale-bristled Logsitter), Microdon (Microdon) scauros Skevington and Locke (Big-footed Ant Fly), Mixogasterfattigi Locke, Skevington and Greene (Fattig's Ant Fly), Neoasciaguttata Skevington and Moran (Spotted Fen Fly), Orthonevrafeei Moran and Skevington (Fee's Mucksucker), Psilotaklymkoi Locke, Young and Skevington (Black Haireye) and Trichopsomyialitoralis Vockeroth and Young (Coastal Psyllid-killer). Common names follow the "Field Guide to the Flower Flies of Northeastern North America" (Skevington et al. 2019).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey H Skevington
- AAFC, Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, Ottawa, Canada AAFC, Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes Ottawa Canada.,Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada Carleton University Ottawa Canada
| | - Andrew D Young
- California Department of Food and Agriculture, Sacramento, United States of America California Department of Food and Agriculture Sacramento United States of America
| | - Michelle M Locke
- AAFC, Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, Ottawa, Canada AAFC, Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes Ottawa Canada
| | - Kevin M Moran
- Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada Carleton University Ottawa Canada.,AAFC, Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, Ottawa, Canada AAFC, Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes Ottawa Canada
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8
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Heo CC, Rahimi R, Mengual X, M Isa MS, Zainal S, Khofar PN, Nazni WA. Eristalinus arvorum (Fabricius, 1787) (Diptera: Syrphidae) in Human Skull: A New Fly Species of Forensic Importance. J Forensic Sci 2019; 65:276-282. [PMID: 31305956 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.14128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Revised: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A body of an unknown adult female was found within a shallow burial ground in Malaysia whereas the skull was exposed and visible on the ground. During autopsy examination, nine insect larvae were recovered from the interior of the human skull and subsequently preserved in 70% ethanol. The larvae were greyish in appearance, each with a posterior elongated breathing tube. A week after the autopsy, more larvae were collected at the burial site, and some of them were reared into adults. Adult specimens and larvae from the skull and from the burial site were sequenced to obtain DNA barcodes. Results showed all adult flies reared from the burial site, as well as the larvae collected from the skull were identified as Eristalinus arvorum (Fabricius, 1787) (Diptera: Syrphidae). Here, we report the colonization of E. arvorum larvae on a human corpse for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong Chin Heo
- Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia.,Institute of Pathology, Laboratory & Forensic Medicine (I-PPerForM), Universiti Teknologi MARA, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Razuin Rahimi
- Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia.,Department of Forensic Medicine, Hospital Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Ximo Mengual
- Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Leibniz-Institut für Biodiversität der Tiere, Adenauerallee 160, D-53113, Bonn, Germany
| | - Mohd Shahirul M Isa
- Faculty of Applied Science, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Syameem Zainal
- Faculty of Applied Science, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Putri Nabihah Khofar
- Faculty of Applied Science, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Wasi Ahmad Nazni
- Division of Medical Entomology, Institute for Medical Research, Jalan Pahang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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9
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Pérez-Lachaud G, Rocha FH, Valle-Mora J, Hénaut Y, Lachaud JP. Fine-tuned intruder discrimination favors ant parasitoidism. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0210739. [PMID: 30653595 PMCID: PMC6336292 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 12/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A diversity of arthropods (myrmecophiles) thrives within ant nests, many of them unmolested though some, such as the specialized Eucharitidae parasitoids, may cause direct damage to their hosts. Ants are known to discriminate between nestmates and non-nestmates, but whether they recognize the strength of a threat and their capacity to adjust their behavior accordingly have not been fully explored. We aimed to determine whether Ectatomma tuberculatum ants exhibited specific behavioral responses to potential or actual intruders posing different threats to the host colony and to contribute to an understanding of complex ant-eucharitid interactions. Behavioral responses differed significantly according to intruder type. Ants evicted intruders that represented a threat to the colony's health (dead ants) or were not suitable as prey items (filter paper, eucharitid parasitoid wasps, non myrmecophilous adult weevils), but killed potential prey (weevil larvae, termites). The timing of detection was in accordance with the nature and size of the intruder: corpses (a potential source of contamination) were detected faster than any other intruder and transported to the refuse piles within 15 min. The structure and complexity of behavioral sequences differed among those intruders that were discarded. Workers not only recognized and discriminated between several distinct intruders but also adjusted their behavior to the type of intruder encountered. Our results confirm the previously documented recognition capabilities of E. tuberculatum workers and reveal a very fine-tuned intruder discrimination response. Colony-level prophylactic and hygienic behavioral responses through effective removal of inedible intruders appears to be the most general and flexible form of defense in ants against a diverse array of intruders. However, this generalized response to both potentially lethal and harmless intruders might have driven the evolution of ant-eucharitid interactions, opening a window for parasitoid attack and allowing adult parasitoid wasps to quickly leave the natal nest unharmed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Pérez-Lachaud
- Conservación de la Biodiversidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico
| | - Franklin H. Rocha
- Conservación de la Biodiversidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico
| | | | - Yann Hénaut
- Conservación de la Biodiversidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico
| | - Jean-Paul Lachaud
- Conservación de la Biodiversidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse; CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
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10
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Pérez-Lachaud G, Lachaud JP. Hidden biodiversity in entomological collections: The overlooked co-occurrence of dipteran and hymenopteran ant parasitoids in stored biological material. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184614. [PMID: 28926617 PMCID: PMC5604966 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological collections around the world are the repository of biodiversity on Earth; they also hold a large quantity of unsorted, unidentified, or misidentified material and can house behavioral information on species that are difficult to access or no longer available to science. Among the unsorted, alcohol-preserved material stored in the Formicidae Collection of the 'El Colegio de la Frontera Sur' Research Center (Chetumal, Mexico), we found nine colonies of the ponerine ant Neoponera villosa, that had been collected in bromeliads at Calakmul (Campeche, Mexico) in 1999. Ants and their brood were revised for the presence of any sign of parasitism. Cocoons were dissected and their content examined under a stereomicroscope. Six N. villosa prepupae had been attacked by the ectoparasitoid syrphid fly Hypselosyrphus trigonus Hull (Syrphidae: Microdontinae), to date the only known dipteran species of the Microdontinae with a parasitoid lifestyle. In addition, six male pupae from three colonies contained gregarious endoparasitoid wasps. These were specialized in parasitizing this specific host caste as no gyne or worker pupae displayed signs of having been attacked. Only immature stages (larvae and pupae) of the wasp could be obtained. Due to the long storage period, DNA amplification failed; however, based on biological and morphological data, pupae were placed in the Encyrtidae family. This is the first record of an encyrtid wasp parasitizing N. villosa, and the second example of an encyrtid as a primary parasitoid of ants. Furthermore, it is also the first record of co-occurrence of a dipteran ectoparasitoid and a hymenopteran endoparasitoid living in sympatry within the same population of host ants. Our findings highlight the importance of biological collections as reservoirs of hidden biodiversity, not only at the taxonomic level, but also at the behavioral level, revealing complex living networks. They also highlight the need for funding in order to carry out biodiversity inventories and manage existing collections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Pérez-Lachaud
- Departamento de Conservación de la Biodiversidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico
| | - Jean-Paul Lachaud
- Departamento de Conservación de la Biodiversidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative, Université de Toulouse UPS, Toulouse, France
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11
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Marín-Armijos D, Quezada-Ríos N, Soto-Armijos C, Mengual X. Checklist of the flower flies of Ecuador (Diptera, Syrphidae). Zookeys 2017; 691:163-199. [PMID: 29200924 PMCID: PMC5672696 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.691.13328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Syrphidae is one of the most speciose families of true flies, with more than 6,100 described species and worldwide distribution. They are important for humans acting as crucial pollinators, biological control agents, decomposers, and bioindicators. One third of its diversity is found in the Neotropical Region, but the taxonomic knowledge for this region is incomplete. Thus, taxonomic revisions and species checklists of Syrphidae in the Neotropics are the highest priority for biodiversity studies. Therefore, we present the first checklist of Syrphidae for Ecuador based on literature records, and provide as well the original reference for the first time species citations for the country. A total of 201 species were recorded for Ecuador, with more than 600 records from 24 provinces and 237 localities. Tungurahua, Pastaza, and Galápagos were the best sampled provinces. Although the reported Ecuadorian syrphid fauna only comprises 11.2 % of the described Neotropical species, Ecuador has the third highest flower fly diversity density after Costa Rica and Suriname. These data indicate the high species diversity for this country in such small geographic area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Marín-Armijos
- Museo de Colecciones Biológicas, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto s/n, C.P. 11 01 608, Loja, Ecuador
| | - Noelia Quezada-Ríos
- Museo de Colecciones Biológicas, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto s/n, C.P. 11 01 608, Loja, Ecuador
| | - Carolina Soto-Armijos
- Museo de Colecciones Biológicas, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto s/n, C.P. 11 01 608, Loja, Ecuador
| | - Ximo Mengual
- Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Leibniz-Institut für Biodiversität der Tiere, Adenauerallee 160, D-53113 Bonn, Germany
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12
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Pérez-Lachaud G, Jahyny BJB, Ståhls G, Rotheray G, Delabie JHC, Lachaud JP. Rediscovery and reclassification of the dipteran taxon Nothomicrodon Wheeler, an exclusive endoparasitoid of gyne ant larvae. Sci Rep 2017; 7:45530. [PMID: 28361946 PMCID: PMC5374537 DOI: 10.1038/srep45530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 02/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The myrmecophile larva of the dipteran taxon Nothomicrodon Wheeler is rediscovered, almost a century after its original description and unique report. The systematic position of this dipteran has remained enigmatic due to the absence of reared imagos to confirm indentity. We also failed to rear imagos, but we scrutinized entire nests of the Brazilian arboreal dolichoderine ant Azteca chartifex which, combined with morphological and molecular studies, enabled us to establish beyond doubt that Nothomicrodon belongs to the Phoridae (Insecta: Diptera), not the Syrphidae where it was first placed, and that the species we studied is an endoparasitoid of the larvae of A. chartifex, exclusively attacking sexual female (gyne) larvae. Northomicrodon parasitism can exert high fitness costs to a host colony. Our discovery adds one more case to the growing number of phorid taxa known to parasitize ant larvae and suggests that many others remain to be discovered. Our findings and literature review confirm that the Phoridae is the only taxon known that parasitizes both adults and the immature stages of different castes of ants, thus threatening ants on all fronts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Pérez-Lachaud
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Av. Centenario Km 5.5, Chetumal 77014, Quintana Roo, Mexico
| | - Benoit J B Jahyny
- Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco UNIVASF, Colegiado de Ciências Biológicas, Campus Ciências Agrárias - Rodovia BR 407, 12 Lote 543 Petrolina, Pernambuco, Brazil.,Seção de Entomologia, Comissão Executiva do Plano da Lavoura Cacaueira, Centro de Pesquisa do Cacau (CEPLAC, CEPEC), Cx.P.7, 45600-970, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Gunilla Ståhls
- Finnish Museum of Natural History, Entomology Dept., P.O. Box 17, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Graham Rotheray
- National Museums Scotland, West Granton Road, Edinburgh, EH5 1JA, United Kingdom
| | - Jacques H C Delabie
- Laboratório de Mirmecologia, Convênio CEPLAC/UESC, Cocoa Research Center (CEPEC), 45600-000, Itabuna, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Jean-Paul Lachaud
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Av. Centenario Km 5.5, Chetumal 77014, Quintana Roo, Mexico.,Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative, Université de Toulouse UPS, CNRS-UMR 5169, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse Cedex 09, France
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13
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Iwai H, Horikawa DD, Arakawa K, Tomita M, Komatsu T, Maruyama M. Rearing and observation of immature stages of the hoverfly Microdon katsurai (Diptera, Syrphidae). Biodivers Data J 2017:e10185. [PMID: 28174503 PMCID: PMC5267547 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.4.e10185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The hoverfly Microdon (Chymophila) katsurai Maruyama et Hironaga 2004 was speculated to be a myrmecophilous species associated with the ant Polyrhachislamellidens based on observations of adults near the ant nest. However, there have been no reports regarding the observation of immature stages of this species in association with P.lamellidens. New information For the first time, we found three M.katsurai larvae inside a P.lamellidens nest and conducted rearing experiments on the larval M.katsurai. P.lamellidens workers did not show any inspection or attack behavior against the M.katsurai larvae under rearing conditions, suggesting that M.katsurai larvae can survive inside a P.lamellidens nest. Although no predatory behavior by the M.katsurai larvae was observed, all the M.katsurai larvae pupated and emerged in a rearing environment. The dorsal surface of the larval M.katsurai has a distinct pale green color with a uniform reticular structure. The puparium of M.katsurai shows several morphological features that are characteristic of the subgenus Chymophila. We conclude that M.katsurai is likely a myrmecophilous species that utilizes P.lamellidens as a specific host and that classification of M.katsurai based on puparium morphology is concordant with that based on adult morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hironori Iwai
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Japan; Faculty of Environmental and Information Studies, Keio University, Fujisawa, Japan
| | - Daiki D Horikawa
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Japan; Systems Biology Program, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, Fujisawa, Japan
| | - Kazuharu Arakawa
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Japan; Systems Biology Program, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, Fujisawa, Japan
| | - Masaru Tomita
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Japan; Systems Biology Program, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, Fujisawa, Japan
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14
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Young AD, Lemmon AR, Skevington JH, Mengual X, Ståhls G, Reemer M, Jordaens K, Kelso S, Lemmon EM, Hauser M, De Meyer M, Misof B, Wiegmann BM. Anchored enrichment dataset for true flies (order Diptera) reveals insights into the phylogeny of flower flies (family Syrphidae). BMC Evol Biol 2016; 16:143. [PMID: 27357120 PMCID: PMC4928351 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-016-0714-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2016] [Accepted: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anchored hybrid enrichment is a form of next-generation sequencing that uses oligonucleotide probes to target conserved regions of the genome flanked by less conserved regions in order to acquire data useful for phylogenetic inference from a broad range of taxa. Once a probe kit is developed, anchored hybrid enrichment is superior to traditional PCR-based Sanger sequencing in terms of both the amount of genomic data that can be recovered and effective cost. Due to their incredibly diverse nature, importance as pollinators, and historical instability with regard to subfamilial and tribal classification, Syrphidae (flower flies or hoverflies) are an ideal candidate for anchored hybrid enrichment-based phylogenetics, especially since recent molecular phylogenies of the syrphids using only a few markers have resulted in highly unresolved topologies. Over 6200 syrphids are currently known and uncovering their phylogeny will help us to understand how these species have diversified, providing insight into an array of ecological processes, from the development of adult mimicry, the origin of adult migration, to pollination patterns and the evolution of larval resource utilization. RESULTS We present the first use of anchored hybrid enrichment in insect phylogenetics on a dataset containing 30 flower fly species from across all four subfamilies and 11 tribes out of 15. To produce a phylogenetic hypothesis, 559 loci were sampled to produce a final dataset containing 217,702 sites. We recovered a well resolved topology with bootstrap support values that were almost universally >95 %. The subfamily Eristalinae is recovered as paraphyletic, with the strongest support for this hypothesis to date. The ant predators in the Microdontinae are sister to all other syrphids. Syrphinae and Pipizinae are monophyletic and sister to each other. Larval predation on soft-bodied hemipterans evolved only once in this family. CONCLUSIONS Anchored hybrid enrichment was successful in producing a robustly supported phylogenetic hypothesis for the syrphids. Subfamilial reconstruction is concordant with recent phylogenetic hypotheses, but with much higher support values. With the newly designed probe kit this analysis could be rapidly expanded with further sampling, opening the door to more comprehensive analyses targeting problem areas in syrphid phylogenetics and ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Donovan Young
- />Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, K.W. Neatby Building, 960 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1A 0C6 Canada
- />Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6 Canada
| | - Alan R. Lemmon
- />Department of Scientific Computing, Florida State University, Dirac Science Library, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4102 USA
| | - Jeffrey H. Skevington
- />Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, K.W. Neatby Building, 960 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1A 0C6 Canada
- />Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6 Canada
| | - Ximo Mengual
- />Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Leibniz Institute for Animal Biodiversity, Adenauerallee 160, Bonn, D-53113 Germany
| | - Gunilla Ståhls
- />Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Zoology unit, P.O.Box 17, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Menno Reemer
- />Naturalis Biodiversity Center, EIS, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Kurt Jordaens
- />Invertebrates Section, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Leuvensesteenweg 13, 3080 Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Scott Kelso
- />Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, K.W. Neatby Building, 960 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1A 0C6 Canada
| | - Emily Moriarty Lemmon
- />Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, 319 Stadium Dr., P.O. Box 3064295, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4295 USA
| | - Martin Hauser
- />Plant Pest Diagnostics Branch, California Department of Food & Agriculture, 3294 Meadowview Road, Sacramento, CA 95832-1448 USA
| | - Marc De Meyer
- />Invertebrates Section, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Leuvensesteenweg 13, 3080 Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Bernhard Misof
- />Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Zentrum für molekulare Biodiversitätsforschung, Adenauerallee 160, Bonn, D-53113 Germany
| | - Brian M. Wiegmann
- />Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 USA
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15
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Fleischmann A, Rivadavia F, Gonella PM, Pérez-Bañón C, Mengual X, Rojo S. Where Is My Food? Brazilian Flower Fly Steals Prey from Carnivorous Sundews in a Newly Discovered Plant-Animal Interaction. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0153900. [PMID: 27144980 PMCID: PMC4856264 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A new interaction between insects and carnivorous plants is reported from Brazil. Larvae of the predatory flower fly Toxomerus basalis (Diptera: Syrphidae: Syrphinae) have been found scavenging on the sticky leaves of several carnivorous sundew species (Drosera, Droseraceae) in Minas Gerais and São Paulo states, SE Brazil. This syrphid apparently spends its whole larval stage feeding on prey trapped by Drosera leaves. The nature of this plant-animal relationship is discussed, as well as the Drosera species involved, and locations where T. basalis was observed. 180 years after the discovery of this flower fly species, its biology now has been revealed. This is (1) the first record of kleptoparasitism in the Syrphidae, (2) a new larval feeding mode for this family, and (3) the first report of a dipteran that shows a kleptoparasitic relationship with a carnivorous plant with adhesive flypaper traps. The first descriptions of the third instar larva and puparium of T. basalis based on Scanning Electron Microscope analysis are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Fleischmann
- Botanische Staatssammlung München, Munich, Germany
- GeoBio-Center LMU, Center of Geobiology and Biodiversity Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Paulo M. Gonella
- Laboratório de Sistemática Vegetal, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Celeste Pérez-Bañón
- Departamento de Ciencias Naturales y Recursos Naturales / Instituto CIBIO, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Ximo Mengual
- Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Leibniz-Institut für Biodiversität der Tiere, Bonn, Germany
| | - Santos Rojo
- Departamento de Ciencias Naturales y Recursos Naturales / Instituto CIBIO, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
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Pérez-Lachaud G, Bartolo-Reyes JC, Quiroa-Montalván CM, Cruz-López L, Lenoir A, Lachaud JP. How to escape from the host nest: imperfect chemical mimicry in eucharitid parasitoids and exploitation of the ants' hygienic behavior. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2015; 75:63-72. [PMID: 25770980 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2015.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Revised: 03/04/2015] [Accepted: 03/05/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Communication in ants is based to a great extent on chemical compounds. Recognition of intruders is primarily based on cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profile matching but is prone to being cheated. Eucharitid wasps are specific parasitoids of the brood of ants; the immature stages are either well integrated within the colony or are protected within the host cocoons, whereas adult wasps at emergence must leave their host nest to reproduce and need to circumvent the ant recognition system to escape unscathed. The behavioral interactions between eucharitid wasps and workers of their host, the Neotropical ant Ectatomma tuberculatum, are characterized. In experimental bioassays, newly emerged parasitoids were not violently aggressed. They remained still and were grabbed by ants upon contact and transported outside the nest; host workers were even observed struggling to reject them. Parasitoids were removed from the nest within five minutes, and most were unharmed, although two wasps (out of 30) were killed during the interaction with the ants. We analyzed the CHCs of the ant and its two parasitoids, Dilocantha lachaudii and Isomerala coronata, and found that although wasps shared all of their compounds with the ants, each wasp species had typical blends and hydrocarbon abundance was also species specific. Furthermore, the wasps had relatively few CHCs compared to E. tuberculatum (22-44% of the host components), and these were present in low amounts. Wasps, only partially mimicking the host CHC profile, were immediately recognized as alien and actively removed from the nest by the ants. Hexane-washed wasps were also transported to the refuse piles, but only after being thoroughly inspected and after most of the workers had initially ignored them. Being recognized as intruder may be to the parasitoids' advantage, allowing them to quickly leave the natal nest, and therefore enhancing the fitness of these very short lived parasitoids. We suggest that eucharitids take advantage of the hygienic behavior of ants to quickly escape from their host nests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Pérez-Lachaud
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Av. Centenario km 5.5, Chetumal 77014, Quintana Roo, Mexico.
| | | | | | - Leopoldo Cruz-López
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Carr. Antiguo Aeropuerto km 2.5, Tapachula 30700, Chiapas, Mexico
| | - Alain Lenoir
- IRBI, Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR CNRS 7261, Université François Rabelais, 37200 Tours, France
| | - Jean-Paul Lachaud
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Av. Centenario km 5.5, Chetumal 77014, Quintana Roo, Mexico; Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, CNRS-UMR 5169, Université de Toulouse UPS, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse Cedex 09, France
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17
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Pérez-Lachaud G, Lachaud JP. Arboreal ant colonies as 'hot-points' of cryptic diversity for myrmecophiles: the weaver ant Camponotus sp. aff. textor and its interaction network with its associates. PLoS One 2014; 9:e100155. [PMID: 24941047 PMCID: PMC4062527 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0100155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2014] [Accepted: 05/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Systematic surveys of macrofaunal diversity within ant colonies are lacking, particularly for ants nesting in microhabitats that are difficult to sample. Species associated with ants are generally small and rarely collected organisms, which makes them more likely to be unnoticed. We assumed that this tendency is greater for arthropod communities in microhabitats with low accessibility, such as those found in the nests of arboreal ants that may constitute a source of cryptic biodiversity. MATERIALS AND METHODS We investigated the invertebrate diversity associated with an undescribed, but already threatened, Neotropical Camponotus weaver ant. As most of the common sampling methods used in studies of ant diversity are not suited for evaluating myrmecophile diversity within ant nests, we evaluated the macrofauna within ant nests through exhaustive colony sampling of three nests and examination of more than 80,000 individuals. RESULTS We identified invertebrates from three classes belonging to 18 taxa, some of which were new to science, and recorded the first instance of the co-occurrence of two brood parasitoid wasp families attacking the same ant host colony. This diversity of ant associates corresponded to a highly complex interaction network. Agonistic interactions prevailed, but the prevalence of myrmecophiles was remarkably low. CONCLUSIONS Our data support the hypothesis of the evolution of low virulence in a variety of symbionts associated with large insect societies. Because most myrmecophiles found in this work are rare, strictly specific, and exhibit highly specialized biology, the risk of extinction for these hitherto unknown invertebrates and their natural enemies is high. The cryptic, far unappreciated diversity within arboreal ant nests in areas at high risk of habitat loss qualifies these nests as 'hot-points' of biodiversity that urgently require special attention as a component of conservation and management programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Pérez-Lachaud
- Departamento Conservación de la Biodiversidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico
| | - Jean-Paul Lachaud
- Departamento Conservación de la Biodiversidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, CNRS-UMR 5169, Université de Toulouse UPS, Toulouse, France
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Schmid VS, Morales MN, Marinoni L, Kamke R, Steiner J, Zillikens A. Natural history and morphology of the hoverfly Pseudomicrodon biluminiferus and its parasitic relationship with ants nesting in bromeliads. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2014; 14:38. [PMID: 25373185 PMCID: PMC5657375 DOI: 10.1093/jis/14.1.38] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2012] [Accepted: 10/12/2012] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The syrphid subfamily Microdontinae is characterized by myrmecophily of their immature stages, i.e., they develop in ant nests. Data on natural history of microdontines are scarce, especially in the Neotropics. Based on fieldwork in southern Brazil, this study provided new data on development and ecology of the hoverfly Pseudomicrodon biluminiferus (Hull) (Diptera: Syrphidae) as well as the first morphological descriptions of male genitalia, larvae, and pupa. Immature specimens were specifically found in colonies of the ant species Crematogaster limata Smith (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) found in rosettes of the bromeliad species Aechmea lindenii (E. Morren) Baker (Poales: Bromeliaceae) and A. nudicaulis (L.) Grisebach. Third instar larvae were observed preying on ant larvae, revealing the parasitic nature of P. biluminiferus. In this and several other aspects, the natural history of P. biluminiferus is similar to that of Holarctic microdontine species. Exceptions include: (i) indications that adults of P. biluminiferus outlast the winter months (in contrast to 3(rd)instar larvae in Holarctic species) and (ii) P. biluminiferus' relationship with bromeliads. The importance of bromeliads for this host-parasite system is evaluated in this paper. The single occurrence of another, unidentified microdontine species' pupae in a nest of the ant species Camponotus melanoticus Emery (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker S Schmid
- Biologie I, Universität Regensburg, 93040 Regensburg, Germany Med.-Naturwissenschaftliches Forschungszentrum, Ob dem Himmelreich 7, Universität Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Mírian N Morales
- Universidade Federal do Paraná - UFPR, Dept. de Zoologia, Pós-graduação em Entomologia, Cx. Postal 19020, 81531-980 Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Luciane Marinoni
- Universidade Federal do Paraná - UFPR, Dept. de Zoologia, Pós-graduação em Entomologia, Cx. Postal 19020, 81531-980 Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Rafael Kamke
- Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Laboratório de Abelhas Nativas (LANUFSC), Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Campus Universitário Trindade, 88040-900 Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Josefina Steiner
- Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Laboratório de Abelhas Nativas (LANUFSC), Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Campus Universitário Trindade, 88040-900 Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Anne Zillikens
- Med.-Naturwissenschaftliches Forschungszentrum, Ob dem Himmelreich 7, Universität Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Laboratório de Abelhas Nativas (LANUFSC), Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Campus Universitário Trindade, 88040-900 Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
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