Centro de Estudios e Investigaciones, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Roque Sáienz Peña 352, Bernal BXD1876, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
J Econ Entomol. 2011 Feb;104(1):32-40. doi: 10.1603/ec10173.
Leaf-cutting ants in the genus Atta F. (Formicidae, Attini) are among the most important pest arthropods in Central and South America, consuming more vegetation than any other animal group. Among the organisms attacking ants in nature, flies of the family Phoridae have been proposed as the most promising biocontrol agents for pest ants. Four phorid species, Apocephalus setitarsus Brown, Myrmosicarius brandaoi Disney, Myrmosicarius gonzalezae Disney, and Eibesfeldtphora trilobata Disney, were reared from ants collected at Atta vollenweideri Forel nests and off foraging trails in Santa Fe province in Argentina. E. trilobata attacked larger ants and had bigger adults than the other species, also exhibiting the longest developmental time. Correlations between size of hosts and size of adults, as well as between size of adults and developmental times, could be established only in some cases. No differences were found between the sizes of the hosts from which males and females emerged. The natural percentage of parasitism varied throughout the seasons and seemed to be influenced by the extreme drought affecting the study site. We discuss why all four species would be suitable candidates for integrating an assemblage of biocontrol agents against A. vollenweideri.
切叶蚁属（Atta F.，膜翅目，Attini）的蚂蚁是中美洲和南美洲最重要的害虫节肢动物之一，其消耗的植被量超过任何其他动物群。在自然界中攻击蚂蚁的生物中，菌蝇科（Phoridae）的苍蝇被认为是最有前途的害虫蚂蚁生物防治剂。从在阿根廷圣达菲省Atta vollenweideri Forel 蚁巢及其觅食路径上收集的蚂蚁中，饲养了四种菌蝇，即 Apocephalus setitarsus Brown、Myrmosicarius brandaoi Disney、Myrmosicarius gonzalezae Disney 和 Eibesfeldtphora trilobata Disney。E. trilobata 攻击较大的蚂蚁，成虫比其他物种更大，发育时间也最长。只有在某些情况下才能建立宿主大小与成虫大小之间以及成虫大小与发育时间之间的相关性。雌雄成虫所寄生的宿主大小没有差异。自然寄生率在整个季节都有变化，似乎受到影响研究地点的极端干旱的影响。我们讨论了为什么所有四种物种都将是整合针对 A. vollenweideri 的生物防治剂组合的合适候选者。
