Natural enemies of the leaf-cutter ant Atta sexdens

Abstract

Flies of the Phoridae family are important natural enemies of leaf-cutter ants. The aim of this
work was to determine the parasitism rates caused by phorids on the leaf-cutter ant Atta sexdens
in area of natural vegetation. Forager ants were collected from five nests in January,
February and March 2017. The collected ants were taken to the laboratory and they were kept
under controlled conditions of humidity and temperature. The parasitisms rate were calculated
using the following formula: (n◦ of parasitized ants/ n◦ of ants collected)*100. Flies of the genera
Apocephalus, Eibesfeldtphora and Myrmosicarius parasitized A. sexdens. The average parasitism
rate was 3,70±0,17%, and the genus Apocephalus (64,86±3,67%) caused the higher
rate of parasitism. Highlights the importance of preserving natural habitats to favor the natural
control of this ant.