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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Natural History of a Sit-and-Wait Dipteran Predator That Uses Extrafloral Nectar as Prey Attractant

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Author(s):
Vidal, Mayra C. [1, 2] ; Sendoya, Sebastian F. [3] ; Yamaguchi, Lydia F. [4] ; Kato, Massuo J. [4] ; Oliveira, Rafael S. [5] ; Oliveira, Paulo S. [6]
Total Authors: 6
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Estadual Campinas, Inst Biol, Grad Program Ecol, BR-13083862 Campinas, SP - Brazil
[2] Univ Denver, Dept Biol Sci, Grad Program Ecol & Evolut, Denver, CO 80208 - USA
[3] Univ Fed Pelotas, Dept Zool Ecol & Genet, BR-96010610 Pelotas, RS - Brazil
[4] Univ Sao Paulo, Chem Inst, Lab Chem Nat Prod, BR-05508900 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil
[5] Univ Estadual Campinas, Dept Plant Biol, BR-13083862 Campinas, SP - Brazil
[6] Univ Estadual Campinas, Dept Anim Biol, BR-13083862 Campinas, SP - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 6
Document type: Journal article
Source: ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY; v. 47, n. 5, p. 1165-1172, OCT 2018.
Web of Science Citations: 0
Abstract

Sit-and-wait predators use different strategies to encounter potential prey. Rhinoleucophenga myrmecophaga Vidal et (Vidal et Vilela; Diptera: Drosophilidae) larvae build sticky shelters on top of extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) of Qualea grandiflora Mart (Vochysiaceae), a common plant in the Brazilian cerrado savanna. Although larval shelters block the EFNs, nectar production is not obstructed and is used by the larvae to attract and trap nectar-gathering ants that are eventually eaten by the dipteran. Here we describe the natural history of R. myrmecophaga, its infestation pattern in Q. grandiflora, the ant assemblage at EFNs, and the insects used as prey. We use stable isotope composition (delta C-13 and delta N-15) of R. myrmecophaga and potential food sources to infer its diet, and perform chemical analyses of the droplets found at shelter openings to determine whether nectar is used as a prey attractant. We found that Rhinoleucophenga larvae occur on the majority of Qualea plants and occupy active EFNs mainly in the rainy season. The two most frequent visiting species were also the most common insects found trapped at larval shelters. The stable isotope analyses confirmed that ants are the main food sources of R. myrmecophaga. Chemical analyses and field observations revealed that Rhinoleucophenga larvae use extrafloral nectar to attract prey to their shelters by pushing this liquid to the shelter opening where it forms a droplet. This is a rare case of sit-and-wait predator exploiting an ant-plant mutualism through the use of the very food reward produced by the plant to attract and capture potential ant mutualists. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 12/23399-3 - Interaction between ants and plants bearing extrafloral nectaries : Community patterns along a latitudinal gradient in the cerrado biome
Grantee:Sebastian Felipe Sendoya Echeverry
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
FAPESP's process: 14/23141-1 - Ecology of interactions, behavioral ecology, and genetics of neotropical ant populations
Grantee:Paulo Sergio Moreira Carvalho de Oliveira
Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Regular Research Grants
FAPESP's process: 11/18580-8 - Studies on Neotropical ants: interactions with herbivorous insects, behavioral ecology and social organization
Grantee:Paulo Sergio Moreira Carvalho de Oliveira
Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
FAPESP's process: 10/13619-0 - Exploitation of ants-Qualea grandiflora (Vochysiaceae) mutualism by Medetera (Dolichopodidae, Diptera)
Grantee:Mayra Cadorin Vidal
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
FAPESP's process: 17/16645-1 - Molecular ecology of neotropical ants
Grantee:Paulo Sergio Moreira Carvalho de Oliveira
Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Regular Research Grants