Co-occurrence of a fly and a wasp parasitoids in colonies of the Neotropical myrmicine ant Pheidole susannae
Résumé
We report on the co-occurrence of a dipteran and an hymenopteran parasitoids on a coastal population of the Neotropical myrmicine ant Pheidole susannae. Whole ant colonies (or parts of colonies) nesting in the soil, under stones, or inside coconut shells were collected. Larvae and pupae were parasitized by a species of Orasema (Hymenoptera: Eucharitidae), while adult ants were observed being attacked by flies of the Apocephalus grandipalpis-group species (Diptera: Phoridae), during colony relocation, in the rainy season. Parasitism rate by Orasema represented up to 10% of available brood. Though parasitism by Phorids could not be evaluated, ant distress at colony level was obvious when flies were present and threatening P. susannae workers, suggesting that these dipteran parasitoids can affect their host foraging patterns.