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Neotropical Entomology ISSN: 1519-566X journal homepage: www.scielo.br/ne ECOLOGY, BEHAVIOR AND BIONOMICS Geographical Transition Zone of Solenopsis Fire Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and Pseudacteon Fly Parasitoids (Diptera: Phoridae) in the State of São Paulo, Brazil MA Pesquero1, AMPM Dias2 1Univ Estadual de Goiás, UnU de Morrinhos, Morrinhos, GO, Brasil 2Univ Federal de São Carlos, Depto de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva, São Carlos, SP, Brasil Keywords Abstract Host selection, community, biological control Solenopsis saevissima (Smith) and Solenopsis invicta Buren are Correspondence Marcos A Pesquero, Rua 14, nº 625, Jardim América, Morrinhos, 75650-000, GO, Brasil; thePseudacteon most abundant and widely distributed fire ants in Brazil. The [email protected] occurrence of the two fire ant species and of their parasitoids spp. is described for a climatic and phytophysiognomicS Edited by Fernando L Cônsoli – ESALQ/USP transitionsaevissima area in the state of São Paulo. Both fire ant species have awhile parapatric S invicta distribution, apparently determined by the climate: . Received 07 February 2011 and accepted 12 between the predominates latitudes 21 ºinS andthe north 23º part of São Paulo (Aw climate), July 2011 . in the south (Cfa climate). A sympatricS saevissima area is observed in the north and with S invicta S. Two different communities of parasitic decapitating flies wereº58’S associated 47º with . in the south, with a sympatric area in the municipalityPseudacteon of São Carlos (21 53’W).P The litoralis possible causes ofP curvatusthis biogeographic Ppattern wasmanni are discussed. P Preferencepradei tests with P obtusus flies challengeS thesaevissima association ofP dentiger. Borgmeier, P disneyi. Pesquero Borgmeier, and P .lenkoi Schmitz, . BorgmeierS invicta and . Borgmeier with . , and . Borgmeier, . Borgmeier & Prado with . Introduction et al et al 1997) Banks 1987, Campiolo 1994, Morrison hasSolenopsis also been saevissimademonstrated (Smith) to be and important S invicta inBuren species are ofPrevious Pseudacteon research has resulted in considerable knowledge composition of local communities. Solenopsis about theet altaxonomy and etgeographic al distribution saevissima . decapitating flies in South America the most common fire ants species in Brazil. (Patrock 2009, Plowes 2009). Due to the high occupies a large central area whereet the al species richness of fire ants and the natural occurrence BrazilianSolenopsis savannah invicta dominates, extending to the north, of parasitoids in South America, the host specificity is northeast and southeast regions of Brazil (Ross an importantet al aspect to be consideredet al when selecting 2010). also has a wide distribution, natural enemies for fire ant biological control in the US including Paraguay, a great extension in Bolivia, in (Vazquez 2004, Folgarait et al 2005b). Moreover,et northeastern Argentina, north of UruguayS invicta and a north-and S althe ecological differentiation amonget alparasitoid specieset al saevissimasouth band of Brazil that goes from the state of Rondônia such as daily activityet al (Pesquero 1996, Folgarait to the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Both . 2007a), attack place (Pesquero 1993, Orr are parapatric in Brazil, with known zones of Neotrop1997, Folgarait Entomol 40(6): 647-6522007b) © and 2011 host Sociedade size Entomológica(Williams & do Brasilcontact in the states of Mato Grosso do Sul, São Paulo and647 Geographical Transition Zone of Solenopsis Fire Ants and Pseudacteon Fly Parasitoids Pesquero & Dias Paraná (Porter et al et al 47º et al 1992,Pseudacteon MacKay 1994, Shoemaker 53’W). The region has transition characteristics of the 2006). Brazilian savanna and the Atlantic Forest (Fig 1a), and is S saevissimaOf the 36 described and S invicta species that parasitize located between the two main climatic zones according to fire ants in the Neotropical region, 19 are associated withet the Köppen’s classification, “Aw” to the north and “Cfa” to al. in South America, and 16 are the south of the state (Fig 1b). Two pasture areas (0.2 ha) listed as common to both species of fire ants (Patrock 5-10 km apart, located near toSolenopsi a river, streams and Pseudacteon or lake were 2009). However, 11P of borgmeieri these species have P ranges cultellatus that demarcated in each municipality to estimate the richness are mostly limited P nudicornis to one species or another. P solenopsidis Only five and abundance of species of . species of parasitoids P tricuspis ( . Schmitz, . All colonies found in the areas were disturbed with the Borgmeier, . Borgmeier, . et aid of a small shovel to encourage the exit of ants and to alSchmitz and . Borgmeier) haveP nudicornis ranges thatP attract the parasitoids. cultellatusbroadly overlapP with tricuspis both fire ant species (Patrock A sample of fire ant workers was removed from 2009). Furthermore, the oviscape of . , . each colony for species identification (Trager 1991). , and . shows intraspecific variation Flies were collected during the first seven hours from describe(Porter & the Pesquero occurrence 2001), of Pseudacteon suggesting the occurrence of sunrise, a period that includes the peak of activity of all populations in process of reproductive isolation. Here we the species found in the wider region (Pesquero 1997). parasitoid species Flies that approached the colonies andºC) washovered used over to store fire and their fire ant hosts in a transition zone between two ant workers in attack mode (Porter 1998) were collected different describedPseudacteon communities for SBrazil saevissima (Pesquero and with an aspirator. A cooler (circa 12 S1997). invicta We have also conducted tests to determine the Solenopsisthe flies prior and to Pseudacteon species identification were retained (Porter by the& Pesquero authors preference of species for . 2001) with a hand lens (20x). Voucher specimens of . in the field. Material and Methods and deposited in the Museu deS Zoologia, invicta Universidadeand another deas SSão saevissima Paulo, state of São Paulo, Brazil. One colony identified as . º º . , collectedet alin Anhembi and Sales Oliveira, Field work was carriedº outº in six municipalities situatedº respectively, were separated from soil particles by 7inº the state of São Paulo: Anhembiº º(AN: 22 47’S, 48 7’W), flotation (Jouvenaz 1977), transferred to white 21Itirapinaº (IT:º 22 24’S, 47 54’W), São Carlos (SC: 21º 58’S, plastic trays (35 x 40 x 10 cm) coated internally with 53’W), Rincão (RI: 21 35’S, 47 57’W), Barrinha (BA: Fluon (ACG Chemicals Americas Incorporation, Bayonne, 12’S, 48 10’W) and Sales Oliveira (SO: 20 52’S, NJ) and feda with insects, water and sugar water during Floresta estacional semidecidual Cerrado Floresta ombrófila densa Cerrado - floresta estacional semidecidual Cerrado - floresta ombrófila densa Floresta ombrófila mista N 0 100 km Brazil Af b Aw SO Am BA Cwa RI Cwb SC Cfa IT Cfb AN 0 500 km (1988)Fig 1 a) Vegetationapud types of the state of São Paulo, Brazil according to IBGE Siqueira & Durigan (2007). b)et Climatic al classifications for the state of São Paulo, Brazil according 648 Neotrop Entomol 40(6): 647-652 © 2011to Rolim Sociedade (2007).Entomológica do Brasil Pesquero & Dias Geographical Transition Zone of Solenopsis Fire Ants and Pseudacteon Fly Parasitoids associated with S saevissima the study. These trays of fire ants were used in the host northern community with nine species (5.11 ± 0.32, n = 6)S chooseselection between assays. theIn each nest samplingof S saevissima place a ortest S ofinvicta host invicta . Pseudacteon, and a southern community choice was established, where the parasitoid flies could with eight species (4.68 ± 0.84, n = 4) associated with . Pseudacteon (Fig 2). A mixturetricuspis of P nudicornis andspecies P solenopsidis of the two simultaneously. communities (13 species, 9 ± 0, n = 2) was observed inP Trays were 10 m apart one from another to reduce borgmeieriSC. , . mutual interference in the attraction of parasitoids, and occurred in territories of both species of fire ants, and . were transferred to another distant point 50 m from in the southern occurred community only in wereSC associated P wasmanni with a single the previous one at 1h intervals. The flies captured Punidentified tricuspis P fire litoralis ant species. and P The pradei most abundant species were stored and identified as described previously and the northern were P cultellatus P. affinis Schmitz, released beforePseudacteon dusk. Rates of attack, parasitoidSolenopsis pupation P. disneyi , . P fowleri. PesqueroBorgmeier, and P dentiger and in and emergence were not observed. Data on the preference . , . Borgmeier, of species of for the two species of . Pesquero, . was analyzed by Wilcoxon matched pairs test with the BorgmeierPseudacteon (Table 1). Systat program (Systat Incorporation 2010). A total of 106 males and 195 females belongingPseudacteon to 14 Results species of were observedSolenopsis on the two trays of fire ants (Table 2). The two communities of flies recognized the dominant species at simultaneouslythe sampling sites attracted (z = 3.29, to the n colonies= 14, P of< 0.001).S invicta In and an A total of 84 colonies of fire ants with estimates Solenopsis of Sanalysis saevissima restricted (P affinis to theP speciesdisney P of dentiger parasitoidsP tricuspis that wereP saevissimadensities varying was dominant between in 10 the and sites 70 tocolonies/ha the north (38.2of SC pradei and P wasmanni . ± 6.44, n = 12) was found at the sampling sites. S invicta . , .