A scientific note on the first records of Melaloncha Brues, 1904 (Diptera: Phoridae) parasitizing Euglossini and Centridini bees

Abstract

The phorid genus Melaloncha Brues, 1904, also known as bee-killing flies, actually comprises 167 species and can be found mostly in the Neotropical region (Brown 2009). Most of the Melaloncha are endoparasitoids of corbiculate, eusocial bees, as stingless bees (Meliponini), bumble bees (Bombus Latreille), and honey bees (Apis mellifera (Linnaeus)) (Ramirez 1982; Brown 2006). Additionally, there are records of species of the genus Melaloncha attacking a noncorbiculate bee of the family Halictidae and a social wasp of the genus Polybia (Lutz and Brown 2013; Wcislo et al. 2004). This note comprises the first records of Melaloncha parasitizing Euglossini and Centridini bees. Melaloncha specimens were collected in southeastern Brazil parasitizing Euglossa cordata (Linnaeus), Euglossa townsendi Cockerell, and Centris analis (Fabricius). The Euglossa parasitoids were identified as Melaloncha ronnai Borgmeier while the Melaloncha attacking C. analis could not be identified to species as only its pupa was collected. M. ronnai is one of the best studied species of the genus, with its life cycle thoroughly described from specimens attacking A. mellifera (Ronna 1936). Considering that A. mellifera was introduced in the Neotropical region, the original host ofM. ronnai was still considered doubtful (Brown 2004). All the examined specimens are deposited in the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil (MZSP). M. ronnai Borgmeier (Figure 1a–c, puparium)