Revista de Biología Tropical ISSN Impreso: 0034-7744 ISSN electrónico: 2215-2075

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Behavioral patterns of parasitoid phorids (Diptera: Phoridae) of Atta colombica (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
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Keywords

leaf-cutting ants
host behavior
host selection
interactions
parasitism
hormigas cortadoras de hojas
comportamiento-hospedero
comportamiento de selección
interacciones
parasitoidismo

How to Cite

Bedoya Cochet, R., Ortega León, Ángela, & Ortiz Reyes, A. (2017). Behavioral patterns of parasitoid phorids (Diptera: Phoridae) of Atta colombica (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Revista De Biología Tropical, 65(2), 461–473. https://doi.org/10.15517/rbt.v65i2.24746

Abstract

In ecology, the success of parasitoid-host interactions is determined by the behavior of seeking, recognition, attack and defense deployed by the participants in the interaction. Our study aimed to understand the behavioral patterns between parasitoid phorids and their host Atta colombica from a forest fragment of Córdoba department, Colombia. We observed three nests of Atta colombica, from December 2013 to Januray 2015 (including dry and rainy seasons), for a total effort of 189 hours. We observed Phorids, their attacks to ants and collected their loads; we also considered differences in the way the parasitoids attacked and observed the microhabitat they preferred. A total of 52 individuals of Eibesfeldtphora attae and 54 of Apocephalus colombicus were collected. Apparently there was no preference for the size of the ants that were attacked by phorids, but larger loads were selected to land on them. When the ants responded to the phorid attack, they used individual defenses (adopting positions or increasing their speed) or grupal defenses (closer ants attacking the phorid). Parasitoid phorids have specialized their behavior, in order to ensure a successful attack on their host, who responded by modifying its behavior, according to the attacker (parasitoid).
https://doi.org/10.15517/rbt.v65i2.24746
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