Comments on plant-herbivore-parasitoid interactions in two cerrado areas of Southern Brazil

Abstract

ABSTRACT. This work describes some interactions between lepidopteran larvae and braconid parasitoids on a group of plants at two sites. There was no significant difference in parasitoid diversity between the sites (Shannon index, p<O.05), and similarity was 62.5%, estimated through Sorensen's index. The diversity of hosts was also not different (p<O.05), but the similarity of host diversity was only 28.5%. This suggests that the parasitoids have strategies for maintaining similar reproduction rates, population densities and communities in areas with different potential hosts.

Herbivore, parasitoid and hyperparasitoid insects associated with fruits and seeds of Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Vell.) Morong (Fabaceae)

“…The most abundant species of our system, Bracon sp., can be considered generalist according to Quicke (1997b). Regarding the plant-host-generalist parasitoid interaction, a study in two savannah areas showed that, although the host similarity between these areas was low, but, parasitoid similarity was high (Caldas and Passos, 1996;Araújo, 2011). Thus, the generalist parasitoids have an advantage in the absence of the preferable host.…”