First record of Brachymeria pandora (Crawford, 1914) and Conura aff. flavicans Spinola, 1837 (Hymenoptera, Chalcididae) in cocoon of Rothschildia erycina (Shaw, 1796) (Lepidoptera, Saturniidae): multiparasitoidism or hyperparasitoidism?

Gilcélia M. Lourido; Marcelo T. Tavares; Amanda Galvão; Marcio L. de Oliveira

doi:10.37486/2675-1305.ec07036

Authors

Gilcélia M. Lourido Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, AM, Brazil/Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Manaus, AM, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8332-2352
Marcelo T. Tavares Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0768-9843
Amanda Galvão Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Brasília, DF, Brazil https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3619-5633
Marcio L. de Oliveira Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, AM, Brazil/Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Quito, Ecuador https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3950-1086

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37486/2675-1305.ec07036

Keywords:

Moths, Chalcidoidea, host-parasitoids interaction, foraging, Malvaceae

Abstract

We report the first record of the parasitoid Brachymeria pandora (Crawford, 1914) (Hymenoptera, Chalcididae) emerging from a cocoon of Rothschildia erycina (Shaw, 1796) (Lepidoptera, Saturniidae). This interaction was observed on Eriotheca candolleana (K. Schum.) A. Robyns (Malvaceae), which also constitutes the first record of this plant as a host for R. erycina. These findings are from Alter do Chão, Santarém, state of Pará, Brazil. Additionally, a female of Conura aff. flavicans Spinola, 1837 (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) was observed exhibiting oviposition behavior on the same cocoon, from which the pupa responded with a trembling defensive reaction, but no individuals of this species were obtained. However, no individuals of C. aff. flavicans emerged, and its role as a primary parasitoid of the moth or a hyperparasitoid of B. pandora is discussed.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Andrade, T. V.; Tavares, M. T. (2009) Revisão de Ceyxia Girault, stat. rev. (Hymenoptera, Chalcididae, Brachymeriini). Revista Brasileira de Entomologia, 53(4): 511–548. doi: 10.1590/s0085-56262009000400004

Brotto, T. R. A.; Tavares, M. T. (2021) Review of the leucotela species-group of Conura (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) from Amazon rainforest. Zootaxa, 4942(3): 409–427. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.4942.3.5

Bustos, E. O. N. (2015) Catálogo preliminar de Saturniidae de Argentina, com veintiún nuevos registros (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae). Tropical Lepidoptera Research, 25(1): 22-33.

Crawford, J. C. (1914) New parasitic Hymenoptera from British Guiana. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 16(2), 85–88. https://biostor.org/reference/71731

Delvare, G. (1992) A reclassification of the Chalcidini with a checklist of the New Word species. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute, 53: 119–375.

Duarte, M. C.; Yoshikawa, V. N. (2025) Eriotheca candolleana (K.Schum.) A. Robyns In: Flora e Funga do Brasil. https://floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br/FB27557. Access on: 30.vii.2025.

GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (2023) Rothschildia erycina Shaw. In: Checklist dataset. doi: 10.15468/39omei

Gil-Santana, H. R.; Tavares, M. T. (2005) Brachymeria pandora (Crawford) (Hymenoptera, Chalcididae): a new parasitoid of Historis odius (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae). Revista Brasileira de Zoologia, 22(4): 1211-1212. doi: 10.1590/s0101-81752005000400060

Lemaire, C. (1978) Les Attacidae americains. The Attacidae of America (=Saturniidae) Attacinae. Neuilly-sur-Seine, France: C. Lemaire.

Marchiori, C. H.; Silva, C. G.; Lobo, A. P. (2003) Primeira ocorrência do parasitoide Conura sp. (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) em pupas de Tuta absoluta (Meyrick, 1917) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) em cultivar de tomate em lavras, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Arquivos do Instituto Biológico, 70(1): 115-116. doi: 10.1590/1808-1657v70p1152003

Mejia, L. B.; Arnal, P.; Hallwachs, W.; Haxaire, J.; Janzen, D.; Kitching, I. J.; Rougerie, R. (2020) A global food plant dataset for wild silkmoths and hawkmoths and its use in documenting polyphagy of their caterpillars (Lepidoptera: Bombycoidea: Saturniidae, Sphingidae). Biodiversity Data Journal, 8: e60027. doi: 10.3897/BDJ.8.e60027

Pádua, D. G.; Kloss, T. G.; Tavares, M. T.; Santos, B. F.; Araujo, R. O.; Schoeninger, K.; Sobczak, J. F.; Gonzaga, M. O. (2022) Hyperparasitoids of polysphinctine Darwin wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) in South America. Austral Entomology, 61(2): 170–186. doi: 10.1111/aen.12593

Salgado-Neto, G.; Mare, R. D.; Lopes-da-Silva, M. (2010) Parasitismo de pupas de Argon lota Hewitson (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) por Brachymeria pandora (Crawford) (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) no Rio Grande do Sul. Neotropical Entomology, 39(2): 311-312. doi: 10.1590/S1519-566X2010000200027

Tavares, M. T. (2025) Chalcididae. In: Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil. http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/fauna/faunadobrasil/10854. Access on: 30.vii.2025.

Tavares, W. S.; Legaspi, J. C.; Tavares, M. T.; Nunez, E.; Pinto, R.; Zanuncio, J. C. (2013) Brachymeria koehleri (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) as a hyperparasitoid of Lespesia melloi (Diptera: Tachinidae) pupa in Thagona tibialis (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) caterpillars in Brazil. Florida Entomologist, 96(4): 1635-1638. doi: 10.1653/024.096.0457

Tavares, M. T.; Villanueva-Bonilla, G. A.; Sobczak, J. F. (2019) Conura baturitei sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae): a hyperparasitoid of spiders through Zatypota riverai (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). Zootaxa, 4624 (2): 267-274. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.4624.2.9

Tibcherani, M.; Aranda, R.; Mello, R. L. (2016) First record of Conura morleyi (Ashmead, 1904) (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) parasitizing Brassolis sp. (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) for Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Check List, 12(5): 1981. doi: 10.15560/12.5.1981

UCD Community (2023) Universal Chalcidoidea Database Website. https://ucd.chalcid.org. Access on: 13.viii.2025.

Verza, W.; Tavares, M. T.; Eriksson, A. (2024) First record of parasitoidism in Danaus erippus (Cramer, 1775) pupa (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae): a possible mediation by an exotic plant species. Entomological Communications, 6: ec06021. doi: 10.37486/2675-1305.ec06021

Zaché, B.; Zaché, R. R. C.; Tavares, M. T.; Wilcken, C. F. (2012) Brachymeria pandora (Crawford) (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) as a new parasitoid of Thyrinteina leucocerae (Rindge) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) in Brazil. Neotropical Entomology, 41: 343–344. doi: 10.1007/s13744-012-0049-5