Conopid flies (Diptera: Conopidae) parasitizing Centris (Heterocentris) analis (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Centridini)

Abstract

Neotropical Entomology 37(5): 606-608 (2008) Conopídeos (Diptera: Conopidae) Parasitando Centris (Heterocentris) analis (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera:Apidae, Centridini) RESUMO -Parasitas de abelhas adultas são quase exclusivamente moscas e dentre os mais importantes estão os conopídeos. Nesta comunicação relata-se pela primeira vez a associação de espécies de Physocephala (Diptera: Conopidae) com Centris (Heterocentris) analis (Fabricius). De uma amostra de 26 fêmeas e nove machos da espécie hospedeira encontrados mortos em ninhos-armadilha vazios, no campus da Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, emergiram 35 parasitóides pertencentes a nove espécies de Physocephala. Os dados mostram que C. analis é hospedeiro para várias espécies de conopídeos e sugerem que tais parasitóides podem desempenhar um papel importante na regulação populacional dessa espécie de abelha. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Parasitismo, associação parasita-hospedeiro, abelha, ninhos-armadilhaABSTRACT -Parasites of adult bees are almost exclusively fl ies and the most important of them are conopids. This note registers for the fi rst time the association of species of Physocephala (Diptera: Conopidae) with Centris (Heterocentris) analis (Fabricius). From 26 females and nine males of the host species found dead inside trap-nests on the campus of the University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, 35 parasitoids were obtained belonging to nine species of Physocephala. The data show that C. analis is a host to several conopid fl ies, and suggest that such parasitoids can play an important role in population control of this bee species.

Larval development of Physocephala (Diptera, Conopidae) in the bumble bee Bombus morio (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

“…On these occasions, according to Santos et al (2008), Centris (Heterocentris) analis (Fabricius, 1804) can be parasitized by Conopidae females depositing their eggs between the intersegmental membranes of the abdominal tergites, which are extended, penetrating their ovipositor and depositing the egg to develop inside the adult bee's abdomen.…”

“…The bee genera known to be parasitized by conopids in the neotropics are Centris A B 347 Larval development of Physocephala in the bumble bee Bombus morio (Caldano et al 2008;Santos et al 2008), Bombus (SchmidHempel & Müller 1991;Müller & Schmid-Hempel 1993;Schmid-Hempel & Schmid-Hempel 1996;Gillespie 2010;Cameron et al 2011), and Eulaema (Rasmussen & Cameron 2004), bees recognized by their large size. However, smaller bees can also be parasitized, such as those of the genus Euglossa .…”

“…Industrial toxic waste changes all ecosystems; consequently, the geobotanic ecosystem and, therefore the balance between opportunistic parasites and their hosts. Parasites may predominate in such condition, becoming a potential threat for bumble bees (Evans et al 2008;Santos et al 2008;De Jong 2009;Plischuk et al 2009;Martins & Melo 2010;Cameron et al 2011). Marcondes et al (2011) have found an apparently high prevalence of dipteran larvae in both B. morio and B. pauloensis (cited as B. atratus).…”

Natural enemies of the oil-collecting bee Centris analis (Fabricius, 1804) with notes on the behavior of the cleptoparasite Coelioxys nigrofimbriata Cockerell, 1919 (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

“…Females attack adult bees, inserting an egg on or within the bee's abdomen while they are foraging, or in flight. The larva develops inside the abdomen of the host, feeding on internal tissue and hemolymph, and pupates in situ, killing the host (Santos et al 2008).…”

“…Species of the genus Physocephala Schiner are solitary koinobiont endoparasitoids of several genera of bees such as Anthidium Fabricius, Anthophora Latreille, Apis Linnaeus, Bombus Latreille, Centris Fabricius, Epicharis Klug, Eulaema Lepeletier, Euglossa Latreille, Halictus Latreille, Megachile Latreille, and Xylocopa Latreille (Rasmussen and Cameron 2004;Melo et al 2008;Santos et al 2008;Couto and Camillo 2014). Santos et al (2008) reported on conopid flies attacking C. analis and recorded nine species of Physocephala in southeastern Brazil (Table 1). Couto and Camillo (2014) also recorded eight Physocephala species emerging from dead specimens of C. analis.…”