Observations on the biology and behavior of the mite Macrodinychus sellnicki (Mesostigmata: Uropodidae), ectoparasite of the crazy ant Paratrechina fulua (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Main Article Content
The crazy ant Paratrechina fulva (Mayr) has conditions found in sugarcane adequate for establishing and proliferating, causing serious problems to growers. In 1996, the presence of a mite attacking crazy ant pupae was detected in Risaralda sugar mill; several investigations were conducted to elucidate its biology, behaviour other relationships between the mite and the ant, in order to determine the possibility of using the mite as a control agent of ant populations. The mite, identify as Macrodinychus sellnicki (Hirschmann), is a myrmecophile and develops as an ectoparasitoid sucking interna! fluids of the pupa, which in turn dies when the adult mite emerges. Percent parasitism by mites in the field may vary from O to 93%. Before becoming an adult M. sellnicki passes through three development stages: larva, protonymph and deutonymph. Mean duration of the life cycle was 30 days from active larva to emerged adult. After copulation, females formed eggs 7 days later and larvae 37 days later, suggesting ovoviviparity. Birth of larvae was not observed; these are active and seek their host. Nymphal stages have regressive development of their locomotion appendages. M sellnicki has a high capacity to affect P. fulva populations but its mass reproduction in laboratory was not possible. lts potential use therefore would be inoculative, consisting of liberations of highly parasitized individuals obtained from the field into areas where there are crazy ant outbreaks but the mite is absent.
AKIMOV,I. A.; YASTREBTSOV A. . V. 1990. Embryonic development of the mite Spinturnlx vespertiliones (Parasitiformes. Spinturnicidae). Acarologia 31: 312.
EVANS.O. 1992. Principies of Acarology.C.A.B. International. University Press.Cambridge. 563 p.
GÓMEZ.L. A.; LASTRA L. A. 1997. Avances en el manejo de la hormiga loca Paratrechina fulva (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) en el cultivo de la caña de azúcar. Memorias. IV Congreso Colombiano de la Asociación de Técnicos de la cana de azúcar. p. 1211 1. Tomo 1. Cali.
HIRSCHMANN. W. 1975. Die Gattung macrodinychus (Berlese 1917) und die Untergattung Monomacrodinychus novum subgenus (trichouropodini. Uropodinae). Acarologie. Schriftenreihe für vergleichende Milbenkunde. Gangsystematik der Parasitiformes. Folge 21 (204): 35-36.
HÓLLDOBLER. B.; WILSON. E. D. 1990. The Ants. The Belknap Press of tlarvard University. Cambridge, M.A. 732 p.
HUNTER, P.; ROSARIO, R. 1988. Associations of Mesostigmata with other arthropods. Annual Review Entomology: 393-417.
JAFFÉ, K. 1993. El mundo de las hormigas. Editorial Equinoccio. Universidad Simón Bolívar. Maracay. Venezuela. 187 p.
KRANTZ, G. W. 1978. A Manual of Acarology. Oregon States University Book Stores. Carvallis. 509 p.
KRANTZ G. W; GÓMEZ,L. A.; GONZÁLEZ.V.E. 2002. Parasitism in the Uropodina: a case history from Colombia. Proc. 1 1,', International Congress of Acarology. In press.
PORTER, S. 2000. Host specificity and risk assessrnent of releasing the decapitating fly Pseudecteon curvatus as a classical biocontrol agent for imported fire ants. Biological Control 19: 35-47.
ZENNER-POLANíA,I. 1990. Biological aspects of the "Hormiga Loca", Paratrechina (Nylanderia) fulva (Mayr) in Colombia. p. 290-297. In Vander Meer,R.K., k. Jaffe and A. Cedeno (eds.), Applied Myrmecology, A World Perspective. Westview Press, Boulder, CO.
- CLAUDIA PATRICIA HERNÁNDEZ-S., YANCY PAOLA MARTÍNEZ-M., ORLANDO INSUASTY-B., LUIS ANTONIO GÓMEZ-L., JAIRO ANTONIO CAMACHO-R., ROBERTO MANRIQUE-E., Effect of weeds control and nitrogenade fertilization on the mad ant population Paratrechina fulva (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) , Revista Colombiana de Entomología: Vol. 28 No. 1 (2002)
- LUIS ANTONIO GOMEZ-L., CONSUELO LÓPEZ - DE PULIDO, Determination of a sampling method for the "hormiga loca in sugar cane , Revista Colombiana de Entomología: Vol. 21 No. 3 (1995)
- LUZ ADRIANA LASTRA-B., LUIS ANTONIO GÓMEZ-L., EFFECT OF SOME ARTIFITIAL DIETS ON THE BIOLOGY OF DIATRAEA SACCHARALIS F. (LEPIDOPTERA: PYRALIDAE) AND ITS PARASITES , Revista Colombiana de Entomología: Vol. 14 No. 2 (1988)
Authors retain the copyright on their work and are responsible for the ideas expressed in them. Once a manuscript is approved for publication, authors are asked for a publication license for the term of legal protection, for all territories that allows the use, dissemination and disclosure of the same.