Ant Parasitoids Research Articles

<p class="western" align="justify"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-US">A new species of scuttle flies (Diptera, Phoridae) from the genus </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-US">Menozziola </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-US">Schmitz that’s a parasitoid of ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-US">Camponotus vagus</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,

A new species of scuttle flies, Menozziola tanaitica sp. n. that’s a parasitoid of ants Camponotus vagus Scopoli was found in the lower reaches of the Don River in the Rostov region, Russia. The new species is similar to Menozziola obscuripes (Schmitz, 1927) but differs in large number of hairs on epandrium and anal tube. This is the first confirmed case of parasitization of scuttle flies on ants in Russia.

Family Perilampidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) as Parasitoids of Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and Other Insects

Species in the family Perilampidae are parasitoids of Lepidoptera, Diptera (Tachinidae) Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Neuroptera, Orthoptera and Raphidioptera. Most are primary parasitoids of beetles (Anobiidae and Platypodidae) and ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). In some species, the egg is deposited on the foliage and the larva is of the planidium type. It mounts a member of the secondary host species and eventually parasitizes the parasitoid of the larvae. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, with about 250 described species and 12 genera. In the Neotropical region, there are 4 genera, with about 30 species: Perilampus (25 species), Burksilampus, Euperilampus and Crysolampus. The aim of the manuscript is to increase the knowledge of the family Perilampidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera). The bibliographic verification of Perilampidae was carried out from 1978 to 2022. Manuscripts published in scientific journals and digital platforms on the subject were examined. This paper expands the knowledge of the bionomy of Perilampidae.

First Record of the Elusive Ant Parasitoid Horismenus floridensis (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) in Mexico and New Association with an Ant Host.

Most eulophid wasps are primary parasitoids, mainly of endophytic insect larvae (Diptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, and Thysanoptera), but can also attack spider eggs, gall-forming mites, or nematodes. A few species are known to parasitize ants. Here we report on the occurrence of Horismenus floridensis (Schauff and Bouček) attacking Camponotus atriceps (Smith) in southern Mexico (Campeche), expanding the distribution for this eulophid species and the range of its potential hosts. We also provide an updated list of the Horismenus Walker species found in Mexico, which currently includes 21 identified species. This is the second host ant ever recorded for H. floridensis and the first reliable record of C. atriceps as a host for this eulophid wasp. The first host ant reported from Florida 35years ago was the closely related valid species, C. floridanus (Buckley), erroneously synonymized at that time with C. atriceps (formerly, C. abdominalis (Fabricius)).

Parasitisation of Weaver Ants by a Species of Smicromorpha Girault (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae: Smicromorphinae) and Unequivocal Evidence of Its Presence in the Afrotropical Region

Smicromorpha Girault (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) is distributed in the old world tropics and subtropics from Australia through New Guinea, Southeast and South Asia. Since its original description in 1913 conclusive evidence of its host has been lacking although it has been collected in association with weaver ants (Oecophylla spp.; Formicidae: Formicinae) either in proximity to ant nests or, on one occasion, reared from one. In this paper we report the presence of Smicromorpha pupae within the gaster of Oecophylla longinoda workers from a nest collected in coastal Kenya. This discovery extends the distribution of Smicromorpha to the Afrotropical Region and demonstrates conclusively that they are koinobiont parasitoids of weaver ants.

Phorid parasitoids of the leaf‐cutting ant Atta laevigata in the Atlantic Forest: occurrence, parasitism rate, and host size

AbstractThe leaf‐cutting ant Atta laevigata (Smith) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae, Attini) causes significant damage to agricultural crops and forest plantations. Conventional control strategies include the use of formicide bait, whose active ingredients pose environmental risks. Several flies of the family Phoridae (Diptera) have shown potential as biocontrol agents of leaf‐cutting ants. This study aimed to determine which phorid species parasitise A. laevigata in the Atlantic Forest, their parasitism rates, and host sizes. Phorids and ants were collected during 12 months from foraging trails and entrance holes of A. laevigata nests located in a natural forest of southeastern Brazil. Phorids collected in the field and those emerged from parasitised ants were identified at the species level. Parasitism rate was determined for each phorid species, the head width of parasitised ants was measured, and confidence intervals were calculated. Eibesfeldtphora erthali (Brown), Eibesfeldtphora bragancai (Brown), Eibesfeldtphora declinata (Bogmeier), Apocephalus vicosae Disney, Apocephalus attophilus Borgmeier, and Myrmosicarius grandicornis Borgmeier parasitised A. laevigata at an overall rate of (mean ± SE =) 5.9 ± 0.76%. Apocephalus spp. had the highest parasitism rate (2.8 ± 0.60%), followed by Eibesfeldtphora spp. (2.2 ± 0.77%), A. vicosae (0.23 ± 0.07%), and M. grandicornis (0.16 ± 0.12%). Large workers were mainly parasitised by E. erthali and A. attophilus, intermediate workers by A. vicosae and E. declinata, and small workers by E. bragancai and M. grandicornis. The phorid A. attophilus had the highest parasitism rate, the widest range of host sizes, and an even distribution of parasitism throughout the year. The high parasitism rates registered for some nests samples (>40%) highlights that ant parasitoid flies are important natural enemies in natural environments and that they possess a great potential to be used in biocontrol programmes.

Diversity and behavior of Eucharitidae Family (Hymenoptera: Eucharitidae) parasitoids of ants (Hymnoptera: Formicidae)

Eucharitidae wasps are specialized parasitoids of ants, and it is decided that each species generally parasitizes ants of a single genus. This group has developed. ​ This parasitism takes place throughout the course of the year, but especially during hot and humid months. However, the number of parasitism seems to depend above all on the size of the colony of ants and on the number of pupae that they serve by guests. The purpose of this article is to obtain information on the characteristics and taxonomy of the Family Eucharitidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera). In this study, quantitative and conceptual aspects were used. To this end, a bibliographic survey of Eucharitidae was carried out in the years 1941 to 2021. Only complete articles published in scientific journals and expanded abstracts presented at national and international scientific events, Doctoral Thesis and Master's Dissertation were considered. Data were also obtained from platforms such as: Academia.edu, Frontiers, Qeios, Pubmed, Biological Abstract, Publons, Dialnet, World, Wide Science, Springer, RefSeek, Microsoft Academic, Science and ERIC.

Anchored phylogenomics and a revised classification of the planidial larva clade of jewel wasps (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea)

AbstractPlanidia are free‐living, mobile first‐instar larvae that are notable in their ability to transition across different larval stages of their host, and for completing their development on the host prepupa as ectoparasitoids, effectively acting as larval‐pupal external koinobionts. Chalcidoid taxa with a planidium form a monophyletic group, the planidial larva clade (PLC). We conducted a phylogenomic study of the PLC using anchored hybrid enrichment data. Phylogenetic analyses support the backbone relationship of PLC as: (Eutrichosomatinae, ((Philomidinae, Chrysolampinae), (Perilampinae, Eucharitidae))). Although excluded from the main analyses, the genus Jambiya, based on only 11 loci recovered, was placed as the sister of Chrysolampinae + Philomidinae or Perilampinae + Eucharitidae. Our results demonstrate that Perilampidae (Philomidinae, Chrysolampinae and Perilampinae) are paraphyletic. Divergence dating based on four node calibrations based on fossils suggests that the PLC arose approximately 111 Ma and the evolution of ant parasitism at least 64 Ma. Host associations, direct versus indirect hyperparasitism, ability to attack a host within a cocoon, soft versus hard planidial forms and mobility of the planidium were explored using a likelihood‐based ancestral state reconstruction method. A revised higher‐level classification of the PLC is proposed, with Eutrichosomatinae elevated to Eutrichosomatidae (stat. rev.), Chrysolampinae and Philomidinae placed in Chrysolampidae (stat. rev.), Perilampidae (stat. rev.) restricted to what was referred to as Perilampinae, and Eucharitidae maintained with four subfamilies, with Akapalinae (unknown biology) as sister group to the core Eucharitidae, all of which are ant parasitoids. Jambiya is treated as an incertae sedis taxon within the planidial clade.

Familia Phoridae (Diptera) as a parasitoid of termites, ants, bees, tick and triatomines

The Objective of this work is to investigate the biology, ecology, habitat, geographic distribution, Taxonomy, life cycle, phenology, control, parasitoidism and reproduction work carried out on the Phoridae Family (Insecta: Diptera). The research was carried out in studies related to quantitative aspects taxonomic and conceptual aspects. A literature search was carried out containing articles published from 1983 to 2021. The mini review was prepared in Goiânia, Goiás, from September to October 2021, through the Online Scientific, internet, ResearchGate, Academia.edu, Frontiers, Biological Abstract, Publons, Qeios, Dialnet, World, Wide Science, Springer, RefSeek, Microsoft Academic, Science, ERIC, Science Research.com, SEEK education, Periodicals CAPES, Google Academic, Bioline International, VADLO, Scopus, Web of Science, LILACS, Medline, LIS and Portal of Scientific Journals in Health Sciences.

Intraspecific ecological relationships harmonious and inharmonious of parasitoids Class Insect Order Hymenoptera and a review

The aim of this study was to perform a bibliographic summary on the harmonic and disharmonious intraspecific ecological relationships of parasitoids (Insect: Hymenoptera). The mini review consists of bibliographical research on the parasitoids of the Hymenoptera Parasitic group. The research was conducted in studies related to quantitative aspects of the Superfamily, Family, Genus and Species (taxonomic groups) and in conceptual aspects such as: parasitism, parasitoidism, mutualism, spider parasitoids, "cockroaches karate kick parasitoid wasps to avoid becoming zombies", kicking defense by the cockroach, Wasp 'walking' a roach and ant parasitoids. A literature search was carried out containing articles published from 1982 to 2021. The mini review was carried out in Goiânia, Goiás, from August to September 2021, through the Online Scientific Library (Scielo) and internet.

Braconid parasitoids of ants (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Euphorinae, Neoneurini) from Baltic amber with a discussion of records of fossil larvae parasitizing ant workers

A new record of the fossil genus Elasmosomites Brues, 1933 from Baltic amber with an illustrated description of a new species, E. arkadylelejisp. nov. and the first description of a male of E. primordialis Brues, 1933 are provided. A key to currently known Neoneurini genera is compiled. A new record of fossil braconid larva emerging from an ant worker of Lasius schiefferdeckeri Mayr, 1868 is discussed and a correction to previous determination of ant hosts from amber is included.

Co-occurrence in ant primary parasitoids: a Camponotus rectangularis colony as host of two eucharitid wasp genera.

Different assemblages of parasitoids may attack a given host species and non-random distribution patterns in parasitoid species assemblages have been reported on various occasions, resulting in co-occurrence at the population, colony, or even individual host levels. This is the case for different closely related species of eucharitid wasps (a family of specialized ant parasitoids) sharing similar niches and co-occurring on the same host at different levels. Here we reviewed all known associations between eucharitid wasps and the ant host genus Camponotus Mayr, 1861 and reported new ant-parasitoid associations. In addition, we report a new case of co-occurrence in eucharitid wasps, at the host colony level, involving a new undescribed species of Pseudochalcura Ashmead, 1904 and an unidentified species of Obeza Heraty, 1985, which attack the common but very poorly known neotropical arboreal ant Camponotus rectangularis Emery, 1890. Most attacks were solitary, but various cocoons were parasitized by two (16%) or three (8%) parasitoids. Globally, parasitism prevalence was very low (3.7%) but showed an important variability among samples. Low parasitism prevalence along with host exposure to parasitoid attack on host plants and overlapping reproductive periods of both parasitoid species may have allowed the evolution of co-occurrence. We also provided some additional data regarding the host ant nesting habits, the colony composition and new symbiotic associations with membracids and pseudococcids. The seemingly polydomous nesting habits of C. rectangularis could play a part in the reduction of parasitism pressure at the population level and, combined with occasionally important local parasitism rates, could also contribute to some parts of the colonies escaping from parasites, polydomy possibly representing an effective parasitism avoidance trait.

First report of a gall midge as a parasitoid of weaver ants

Gall midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) comprise a diverse family of small nematoceran flies. While most species are phytophagous, the family also includes predatory species, and endoparasitoids. Endoparasitic species have been reared from aphids and psyllids. We discovered parasitoid-infected weaver ant, Oecophylla longinoda (Latreille) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in nests on mango trees in coastal Kenya. Examination of 5 colonies revealed the presence of parasitoids in all of them, with parasitism rates ranging from 2 to 21%. Morphological examination of larval parasitoids indicated that they were gall midges, and molecular data were consistent with the identification. Attempts to rear adults were unsuccessful. This study presents to the best of our knowledge the first report of Cecidomyiidae parasitising Hymenoptera, as well as the first report of a parasitoid of weaver ants. This species should be investigated further because its damage may limit the ability of weaver ants to control pests of cultivated fruits and other insects.

The New World ant parasitoid genus Orasema (Hymenoptera: Eucharitidae).

A key is provided to 16 recognized species groups, plus several species not assigned to species group, of Orasema Cameron (Eucharitidae), a widespread New World genus of myrmicine ant (Formicidae: Myrmicinae) parasitoids ranging from northern Argentina to southern Canada. Eight of the species groups are revised, of which five are newly established; keys are given to the species of each treated group, 22 species are newly described, and detailed life histories of several well-documented species are discussed. Revised are the Orasema coloradensis group (four species: O. coloradensis Wheeler, O. iridescens n. sp., O. scaura n. sp., and O. violacea Ashmead), the Orasema bakeri group (six species: O. bablyi n. sp., O. bakeri Gahan, O. dubitata n. sp., O. polymyrmex n. sp., O. taii Chien Heraty, and O. texana Gahan), the Orasema tolteca group (two species: O. castilloae n. sp. and O. tolteca Mann), the Orasema sixaolae group (newly established, with four species: O. brachycephala n. sp., O. nebula n. sp., O. sixaolae Wheeler Wheeler, and O. tinalandia n. sp.), the Orasema acuminata group (newly established, with two species: O. acuminata n. sp. and O. cerulea n. sp.), the Orasema peraltai group (newly established, with two species: O. chrysozona n. sp. and O. peraltai n. sp.), the Orasema johnsoni group (newly established, with two species: O. johnsoni n. sp. and O. spyrogaster n. sp.), and the Orasema heacoxi group (newly established, with two species: O. heacoxi n. sp. and O. masonicki n. sp.). Newly described or treated species not placed to species group are O. brasiliensis (Bréthes), O. cirrhocnemis n. sp., O. monstrosa n. sp., O. mutata n. sp., O. psarops n. sp., and O. roppai n. sp. Species concepts and relationships are based on morphology and a recently published molecular phylogeny.

A new species of Eucharissa Westwood (Eucharitidae) from South Africa, with an evaluation of the importance of pupae for assessing relationships in these ant parasitoids

Eucharissa (Hymenoptera: Eucharitidae) is an enigmatic genus within Chalcidoidea. Adults have at least 16 antennal segments, which is shared only by the closely related genus, Saccharissa, with some species of Eucharissa having as many as 22 antennal segments. At most, other Chalcidoidea have up to 14 segments. Phylogenetic analyses place Eucharissa within the poneromorph-ant attacking clade, but until now, the host and immature stages of this genus were unknown. Eucharissa insolitasp. nov. was discovered in two cocoons of Bothroponera granosa (Ponerinae) from South Africa; one a fully developed male and the other a second-instar larva. The larval exuviae present within the cocoons allowed for description of the life stages and comparison with other members of the poneromorph-attacking clade of Eucharitidae. Morphology of the pupa across Eucharitidae is reviewed, and synapomorphies of the immature stages are identified that support monophyly of the poneromorph-attacking clade within the tribe Eucharitini.

Megaselia steptoeae (Diptera: Phoridae): specialists on smashed snails.

BackgroundPhorid flies are amongst the most biologically diverse and species-rich groups of insects. Ways of life range from parasitism, herbivory, fungivory, to scavenging. Although the lifestyles of most species are unknown, many are parasitoids, especially of social insects. Some species of ant-parasitoids are attracted to injured hosts for feeding purposes to develop eggs, as well as for oviposition, requiring each female to find two injured hosts.New informationFemales of the phorid fly Megaselia steptoeae Hartop et al. (Diptera: Phoridae) were found to be quickly attracted to crushed glass snails of the species Oxychilus draparnaudi (Beck) (Gastropoda: Oxychilidae). Most females were without mature eggs and apparently were attracted for feeding purposes only; other injured molluscs offered at the same time were not attractive. One female laid eggs in captivity and offspring were reared to the pupal stage. The lifestyle of this species is similar to that of parasitoids of injured ants, which also require separate hosts of the same species for feeding and oviposition. We conclude that injured hosts must be common in the environment to attract these host-specific scavengers.

A species-level association in Pheidole Westwood (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) ants with a parasitoid wasp of the genus Orasema Cameron (Hymenoptera: Eucharitidae) in Brazil

Eucharitid wasps are exclusive parasitoids of ants and certain groups of eucharitids have specific associations with their hosts. This type of specificity is widely documented in more inclusive groups (subfamilies and/or genus-groups). However, we do not know if this specificity occurs in less inclusive groups (such as species or populations) or if it is more strongly influenced by local and/or regional environmental constraints. We provide a new association record between Pheidole gibba Mayr, 1887 and Orasema chunpi Burks, Heraty & Dominguez, 2018, while expanding their known distribution to the Brazilian state of Bahia.

Neotropical ant parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Eucharitidae): interpreting taxonomy, phylogeny and divergent morphologies

AbstractThe Neotropical ‘Kapala Clade’ is a group of 13 described genera of ant parasitoids that includes some of the most morphologically bizarre members in the family Eucharitidae (Chalcidoidea). Across the Kapala Clade, various conspicuous morphological modifications – notably the long mesoscutellar spines – have led to the description of numerous genera. Monophyly of the clade has been supported in morphological and molecular analyses; however, relationships among genera within the clade are not easily resolved. Within this clade, there is one especially problematic taxon: Kapala Cameron is a common, diverse and easily recognizable genus, with species distributed across the Neotropical region north into the southern Nearctic, and one disjunct species found in the Afrotropical region. However, Kapala is defined by pleisiomorphic features – lacking the derived characters of the other Kapala Clade genera – with previous molecular evidence showing this genus to be paraphyletic. To evaluate relationships among Kapala Clade genera, we use a comprehensive sampling of 195 taxa and a molecular dataset of five gene regions. A morphological matrix of 52 characters was analysed both separately and combined with molecular data, which allowed rare genera to be incorporated into the phylogeny. Molecular results were at odds with the historic generic relationships, and the genus Kapala was rendered polyphyletic by two distinct clades of other kapaline genera. We find that there were bursts of morphological change clustered in the phylogeny; however, these are not correlated with higher rates of diversification. We discuss the timing of divergence events, analyse diversification patterns, and evaluate life‐history information within a phylogenetic context.

Inverse dispersal patterns in a group of ant parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Eucharitidae: Oraseminae) and their ant hosts

AbstractWhen postulating evolutionary hypotheses for diverse groups of taxa using molecular data, there is a tradeoff between sampling large numbers of taxa with a few Sanger‐sequenced genes or sampling fewer taxa with hundreds to thousands of next‐generation‐sequenced genes. High taxon sampling enables the testing of evolutionary hypotheses that are sensitive to sampling bias (i.e. dating, biogeography and diversification analyses), whereas high character sampling improves resolution of critical nodes. In a group of ant parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Eucharitidae: Oraseminae), we analyse both of these types of datasets independently (203 taxa with five Sanger loci, 92 taxa with 348 anchored hybrid enrichment loci) and in combination (229 taxa, 353 loci) to explore divergence dating, biogeography, host relationships and differential rates of diversification. Oraseminae specialize as parasitoids of the immature stages of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with ants in the genus Pheidole being their most common and presumed ancestral host. A general assumption is that the distribution of the parasite must be limited by any range contraction or expansion of its host. Recent studies support a single New World to Old World dispersal pattern for Pheidole at c. 11–27 Ma. Using multiple phylogenetic inference methods (parsimony, maximum likelihood, dated Bayesian and coalescent analyses), we provide a robust phylogeny showing that Oraseminae dispersed in the opposite direction, from Old World to New World, c. 24–33 Ma, which implies that they existed in the Old World before their presumed ancestral hosts. Their dispersal into the New World appears to have promoted an increased diversification rate. Both the host and parasitoid show single unidirectional dispersals in accordance with the presence of the Beringian Land Bridge during the Oligocene, a time when the changing northern climate probably limited the dispersal ability of such tropically adapted groups.

Seasonal and Site Differences in Phorid Parasitoidism Rates of Leaf-Cutting Ants.

Interspecific interactions are influenced by several environmental factors that may affect spatial and temporal dynamics. Seasonal variations in environmental conditions and differences among sites may affect the intensity of interactions and the abundance of interacting species. In this study, we describe the variability in parasitoids of Atta ants among sites and seasons over a year. More specifically, we studied parasitoidism of Atta sexdens Linnaeus and Atta laevigata Smith nests at a site with native cerrado vegetation and a Eucalyptus monoculture in dry and rainy seasons. Of the 45,147 workers collected, 1,020 (2.2%) were parasitized. We found five parasitoid species of A. sexdens and four species of A. laevigata. The two species of leaf-cutting ants shared similar parasitoid communities, but the infection rate was higher in A. laevigata (5.3%) compared with A. sexdens (0.8%). Parasitoidism rates of A. laevigata increased in the rainy season, but the rate for A. sexdens was consistently low in both seasons. The identity of the host species and the season, therefore, appear to interact to influence the rate of parasitoidism in these leaf-cutting ant species.

No evidence of strong host resource segregation by phorid parasitoids of leaf-cutting ants

Resource segregation by species is a cornerstone ecological concept that may result from several processes such as interspecific competition, and can help structuring communities, in particular parasitoid communities. Phorid parasitoid flies that use ants as hosts usually employ one host per individual parasitoid, and thus the pressure for segregating the host resource should be high. At a particular community, these parasitoids might segregate resources by temporal differences in activity patterns, using different host species or nests from those available. Even if parasitoid species coexist on the same nest, they can take advantage of worker polymorphism and task division, searching for ants performing different tasks at different microsites of the same nest. Here we evaluated the segregation of parasitoid species in these hypothesized axes using leaf-cutting ant phorid parasitoids as a model system. We analyzed temporal data collected at two localities with contrasting host species richness; and compared parasitoid co-occurrence at the different niche axis. For most of the hypothesized niche axes tested we found either no departures from random expectations or significantly more niche overlap than expected by chance, ruling out the existence of biologically relevant host resource segregation in this system. However, there was evidence of segregation for some species, since one parasitoid species was only found in winter and another species showed a negative correlation of its abundance over nests with other two species. Furthermore, we found that several species were flexible in host use; Atta phorids varied in average host sizes preferred, whereas Acromyrmex phorids that were generalists were able to use different host species or microsites for host location. From an applied perspective, these results are encouraging when selecting species for the control of leaf-cutting ants because parasitoids coexistence seems to be unaffected by their overlap in niche dimensions.