Marcos A. L. Bragança

Características biológicas e comportamentais de Neodohrniphora elongata Brown (Diptera, Phoridae), um parasitóide da saúva Atta sexdens rubropilosa Forel (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

Characteristics of the biology and behavior of the phorid Neodohrniphora elongata Brown, 2001 in relation to workers of the host Atta sexdens rubropilosa Forel, 1908 were studied. Twenty-four field-collected females of N. elongata were released singly inside an observation chamber placed between a nest of A. sexdens rubropilosa and a foraging arena. Flies launched attacks on flies and failed four or five times before they would successfully attack ants and oviposit on the head of workers. Larvae of the parasitoid developed in the cephalic capsule of 63.8% of the 426 attacked workers; 218 flies emerged. N. elongata oviposited on bigger workers, or those with cephalic capsules 2.9 ± 0.4 mm wide. Capsule width seems to be important for the development of the parasitoid because failure in pupa formation and the non-emergence of adults occurred primarily among ants with capsules smaller than 2.9 mm. Flies that emerged in the laboratory had greater longevity when fed on honey solution at 10% than honey solution at 50%, or on distilled water only. The females emerged in laboratory had flight and attack behavior similar to those of field females, although second generation parasitoids could not be obtained. Additional studies on the impact of natural sources of carbohydrates and protein on the longevity and reproduction of N. elongate should be conducted to multiply this and other phorids of leaf-cutting ants in the laboratory.

Species diversity of sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) during different seasons and in different environments in the district of Taquaruçú, state of Tocantins, Brazil

Phlebotomine sandflies are the vectors for the protozoan parasites that cause leishmaniasis. The present study investigated the species composition of sandfly fauna in the rural district of Taquaruçú, municipality of Palmas, state of Tocantins, Brazil and compared the diversity of species among intradomicile, peridomicile and forest environments during the dry and rainy seasons. Sandflies were collected using CDC light traps over the course of three months during the dry and rainy seasons. A total of 767 specimens were captured, belonging to different 32 species. The most abundant species were Micropygomyia goiana (Martins, Falcão & Silva), Sciopemyia sordellii (Shannon & Del Ponte), Evandromyia carmelinoi (Ryan Fraiha, Lainson & Shaw), Evandromyia termitophila (Martins, Falcão & Silva), Nyssomyia whitmani (Antunes & Coutinho) and Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva). The highest species diversity (30) and the greatest percentage of specimens (78.3%) were obtained during the rainy season. During the dry season, the species richness and abundance were greater in domestic environments. However, during the rainy season, the forest displayed the highest species richness and the domestic environment exhibited the greatest species abundance. Several important vector species are reported in this study.

Ocorrência e características biológicas de forídeos parasitóides (Diptera: Phoridae) da saúva Atta laevigata (Smith) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) em Porto Nacional, TO

The purpose of this study was to verify the occurrence of parasitism in Atta laevigata (Smith) by phorids in Porto Nacional, Tocantins, Brazil and to evaluate some biological characteristics of those flies. From October/2002 to September/2003, at 15-day intervals, 22 samplings were carried out (149.5 ± 82.9 workers each) comprising 3,704 ants. In the laboratory, the ants were distributed in groups of five individuals per petri dish and maintained at temperature of 25 ± 1oC and 80 ± 5% of RH. They were fed daily with a 50% honey solution until death. The total of 106 workers (2.8%), collected with or without load (plant fragment), were parasitized by phorids: 72 workers (68%) were parasitized by Apocephalus vicosae Disney, 28 individuals (26.4%) by Neodohrniphora erthali Brown, and six (5.6%) by Apocephalus attophilus Borgmeier. The higher parasitism rates by A. vicosae (3.9-5.4%) were observed during the dry season (June-August), while the parasitism by N. erthali was lower than 2.3% throughout the year. The bigger workers were parasitized by bigger parasitoid N. erthali or by parasitoid with larger number of larvae A. attophilus. The occurrence of three phorid species in Tocantins broadens the distribution of these flies in Brazil. The development of A. vicosae larva within the thorax of the host as well as the rupture between the ant pronotum and propleuron so that the emergence of the fly can take place are characteristics not yet described on parasitism of leaf-cutting ants by phorids.

Parasitismo por Neodohrniphora spp. Malloch (Diptera, Phoridae) em operárias de Atta sexdens rubropilosa Forel (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

Parasitoids of the genus Neodohrniphora Malloch, 1914 generally attack workers of Atta sexdens rubropilosa Forel, 1908 in low ratios. However these attacks alter the foraging rhythm and reduces the number and size of workers as well as increases the number of abandoned plant fragments along the trails. A. sexdens rubropilosa can have a diurnal or nocturnal foraging activity, but it is uncertain if Neodohrniphora spp. attacks workers of this host during the night. The objective of this work was to verify the occurrence of Neodohrniphora phorids attacks and the level of parasitism on workers of A. sexdens rubropilosa under three light levels in laboratory, including the darkness. The levels of illumination were: high-light (0.65 µmol/m3/s); low-light (0.05 µmol/m3/s) and darkness (0.0 µmol/m3/s). Field collected parasitoid females (Neodohrniphora tonhascai Brown, 2001 and Neodohrniphora elongate Brown, 2001) released in laboratory have attacked and parasitized A. sexdens rubropilosa workers only under high-light level. This suggests that these two Neodohrniphora species are not active in the field during the night (darkness) and that visual stimulus could be an essential component to the location and recognition of the host.

First record of Phorid Parasitoids (Diptera: Phoridae) of the leaf-cutting ant Atta bisphaerica Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Phoridae flies parasitize several ant species, including many Atta leaf-cutting ants. In this note, the attacks of three coexisting phorid species (Myrmosicarius grandicornis Borgmeier, Apocephalus attophilus Borgmeier and Neodorhniphora bragancai Brown) against Atta bisphaerica Forel workers in a pasture located in Vicosa County, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, are reported. The first two species of phorids are known to parasitize other leaf-cutting ants. N. bragancai, however, has been found only around A. bisphaerica nests. Each of these phorid species selects ants engaged in different tasks and oviposits in specific sites of the ant body.

Hosts and parasitoids of fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritoidea) in the State of Tocantins, Brazil

Fruit flies were obtained from 13 species of naturally infested fruits in the central region of Tocantins State, from January to October 2005. A total of 1,753 female flies were collected that belong to 11 species: Anastrepha coronilli Carrejo & González, A. fraterculus (Wied.), A. mucronota Stone, A. obliqua (Macquart), A. sororcula Zucchi, A. striata Schiner, A. turpiniae Stone, A. zenildae Zucchi, Anastrepha sp., Ceratitis capitata (Wied.) and Neosilba sp. Also six species of parasitoids were associated to Anastrepha larvae: Asobara anastrephae (Muesebeck), Doryctobracon areolatus (Szépligeti), Doryctobracon sp., Opius bellus Gahan, Opius sp. and Utetes anastrephae (Viereck).

New species of Eibesfeldtphora Disney (Diptera: Phoridae) and a new key to the genus

Two new species of parasitoids, Eibesfeldtphora trifurcata and Eibesfeldtphora inornata, are described. Both species were collected in Brazil. A new key is provided and illustrated for the twenty one known species.

Figures 1 – 3. Female Phorid Fly Oviscapes, Lateral. 1 In Parasitoid Phorid Flies (Diptera: Phoridae) From The Threatened Leafcutter Ant Atta Robusta Borgmeier (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

FIGURES 1 – 3. Female phorid fly oviscapes, lateral. 1. Eibesfeldtphora breviloba; 2. Eibesfeldtphora digitalis; 3. Myrmosicarius exrobustus.