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Issue: Vol. 3385 No. 1: 11 Jul. 2012
Type: Articles
Published: 2012-07-11
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3385.1.2
Page range: 33–38
Abstract views: 42
PDF downloaded: 1

Parasitoid phorid flies (Diptera: Phoridae) from the threatened leafcutter ant Atta robusta Borgmeier (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, USA
Biological Sciences Course, Federal University of Tocantins – UFT, 77500-000, Porto Nacional, TO, Brazil
Department of Environmental Sciences, IF, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro – UFRuralRJ, Brazil
Department of Environmental Sciences, IF, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro – UFRuralRJ, Brazil
Agrarian Center, Environmental and Biological Sciences, Federal University of the Reconcavo of Bahia – UFRB, Brazil
Diptera host-parasitoid interactions Atta Eibesfeldtphora Myrmosicarius Phoridae Formicidae

Abstract

Phorid flies are well known natural enemies of leafcutter ants, but there is no information on phorid species associatedwith the threatened species Atta robusta Borgmeier. During 2009 and 2010 we collected phorid parasitoids of A. robustaat Guriri Island, Espirito Santo (18o43’S; 39o 45’W) and at Rio de Janeiro city (23°01’S; 43°28’W). Three new specieswere found: Eibesfeldtphora breviloba Brown, E. digitata Brown, and Myrmosicarius exrobusta Brown. These species,the attack behavior of the two species of Eibesfeldtphora, as well as the anti-parasitoid defense behavior of A. robusta, are described.

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