The spatial distribution of Hymenoptera parasitoids in a forest reserve in Central Amazonia, Manaus, AM, Brazil

Rb Querino,Am Penteado-Dias,Lo Queiroz,Srm Couceiro

doi:10.1590/s1519-69842011000500007

Abstract

Parasitoids are of great importance to forest ecosystems due to their ecological role in the regulation of the population of other insects. The species richness and abundance of parasitoids in the forest canopy and understory, both on the borders and in the interior of a tropical forest reserve in Central Amazonia were investigated. For a 12-month period, specimen collections were made every 15 days from suspended traps placed in the forest canopy and in the understory strata, both on the border and in the interior of forest areas. A total of 12,835 Hymenoptera parasitoids from 23 families were acquired. Braconidae, Diapriidae, Mymaridae, Eulophidae, and Scelionidae were the most represented in the area and strata samples. The results indicate that there were no significant differences in the species richness or abundance of Hymenoptera between the forest borders and the inner forest. The data does show that the presence of Hymenoptera is significantly greater in the understory in both the border and interior areas than in the canopy (vertical stratification). Aphelinidae and Ceraphronidae were significantly associated with the inner forest, while the other seven families with the border of the reserve. The abundance of Hymenoptera parasitoids presented seasonal variations during the year related to the rainy and dry seasons.

Highlights

In tropical rain forests many species are susceptible to the process of extinction, principally those that occur in low densities and participate in narrow and complex interactions with other species (Myers, 1987).Evidence indicates that insect species respond to environmental alterations in different ways and are affected by the alterations in the interactions among species
As climate changes affect the hosts and the parasitoids differently, it is to be expected that the distribution of each species changes and communities are altered, including the adaptation of the parasitoids to new species of hosts (Hance et al, 2007)
The study was conducted in the reserve at km 41 (2° 26’ 56.26” S; 59° 46’ 12.68” W) of the Dynamic Biology of Fragmented Forests Project (PDBFF) of Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA)/ Smithsonian Institute, in an area of approximately 2470 acres, located in the north of Manaus Municipality, Amazonas, Brazil

Summary

Introduction

In tropical rain forests many species are susceptible to the process of extinction, principally those that occur in low densities and participate in narrow and complex interactions with other species (Myers, 1987). Evidence indicates that insect species respond to environmental alterations in different ways and are affected by the alterations in the interactions among species. The cascading effects of these individual responses affect the structure and composition of communities (Menéndez, 2007). Many studies have shown the importance of tritrophic interactions when evaluating the effect of environmental changes As climate changes affect the hosts and the parasitoids differently, it is to be expected that the distribution of each species changes and communities are altered, including the adaptation of the parasitoids to new species of hosts (Hance et al, 2007)

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