Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Leucophora Satellite Flies (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) as Nest Parasites of Sweat Bees (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) in the Neotropics

  • Scientific Note
  • Published:
Neotropical Entomology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The biology of the 10 species of Leucophora (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) recorded in the Neotropics remains unknown. The large majority of the studied species so far are kleptoparasites of bees and wasps. Here, we report the first observations of Leucophora andicola (Bigot) and Leucophora peullae (Malloch) visiting the nests of ground-nesting sweat bees Corynura (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) in Chilean Patagonia. Females of both species perch on small stones or sticks within a dense nest aggregation of the bees and then track pollen-loaded bees in flight with great precision, eventually following them into their nests. The overall behavior closely resembles that observed for many other species of the genus. Excavations of some bee nests returned only two dipteran puparia, possibly of Leucophora, suggesting a low parasitism rate. One male of L. peullae was also collected at the bee aggregation. This is the first report of host association for any Leucophora from the Neotropics and the first report of any anthomyiid fly associated with augochlorine bees.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig 1
Fig 2

References

  • Ackland DM (1995) Two new species of Leucophora Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) from southern Africa. Ann Natal Mus 36:87–95

    Google Scholar 

  • Barthell JF, Bromberger DM, Daly HV, Thorp RW (1998) Nesting biology of the solitary digger bee Habropoda depressa (Hymenoptera: Anthophoridae) in urban and island environments. J Kansas Entomol Soc 71:116–136

    Google Scholar 

  • Batra SWT (1965) Organisms associated with Lasioglossum zephyrum (Hymenoptera: Halictidae). J Kansas Entomol Soc 38:367–389

    Google Scholar 

  • Brothers DJ, Tschuch G, Burger F (2000) Associations of mutillid wasps (Hymenoptera, Mutillidae) with eusocial insects. Insect Soc 47:201–211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Collin JE (1920) A contribution towards the knowledge of the Anthomyid genera Hammomyia and Hylephila of Rondani (Diptera). Trans Entomol Soc London 1920:305–330

    Google Scholar 

  • Copeman SM (1921) Note on the capture (in London) of a rare parasitic fly, Hammomyia (Hylephila) unilineata Zett. Proc Zool Soc London 1921:31–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Danforth BN, Eickwort GC (1997) The evolutions of social behavior in the augochlorine sweat bees (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) based on a phylogenetic analysis of the genera. In: Choe JC, Crespi BJ (eds) The evolution of social behaviour in insects and arachnids. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 270–293

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis LR, LaBerge WE (1975) The nest biology of the bee Andrena (Ptilandrena) erigeniae Robertson (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae). Ill Nat Hist Surv Biol Notes 95:1–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Eickwort GC, Eickwort JM, Gordon J, Eickwort MA (1996) Solitary behavior in a high-altitude population of the social sweat bee Halictus rubicundus (Hymenoptera: Halictidae). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 38:227–233

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths GCD (1996) Anthomyiidae [part]. In: Lindner E (ed) Flies of the Nearctic Region 8 (2) 11. E. Schweizerbart, Stuttgart, pp 1633–1872

    Google Scholar 

  • Habermannová J, Bogusch P, Straka J (2013) Flexible host choice and common host switches in the evolution of generalist and specialist cuckoo bees (Anthophila: Sphecodes). PLoS ONE 8(5):e64537. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0064537

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hennig W (1967) Anthomyiidae [part]. In: Lindner E (ed) Die Fliegen der palaearktischen Region 7 (1) Lief. 271. E. Schweizerbart, Stuttgart, pp 97–144

    Google Scholar 

  • Heywood VH (1995) Global biodiversity assessment. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, p 1152

    Google Scholar 

  • Malloch JR (1934) Muscidae. In: Diptera of Patagonia and South Chile 7 (2). Natural History Museum Publications, London, pp. 171–346

  • Michelsen V (2004) Anthomyiidae. In: Pape T (ed) Diptera Brachycera. Fauna Europaea ver. 1.0. [Ver. 2.6.2 available from http://www.faunaeur.org.]

  • Montalva J, Ruz L (2010) Actualización a la lista sistemática de las abejas chilenas (Hymenoptera: Apoidae). Rev Chil Entomol 35:15–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Nye WP (1980) Notes on the biology of Halictus (Halictus) farinosus Smith (Hymenoptera: Halictidae). USDA Sci Educ Adm Agric Res Results Arr-W 11:1–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Paxton RJ, Tengö J, Hedström L (1996) Dipteran parasites and other associates of a communal bee, Andrena scotica (Hymenoptera: Apoidea), on Öland, SE Sweden. Entomol Tidskr 117:165–178

    Google Scholar 

  • Paxton RJ, Pohl H (1999) The tawny mining bee, Andrena fulva (Müller) (Hymenoptera: Andreninae), at a South Wales field site and its associated organisms: Hymenoptera, Diptera, Nematoda and Strepsiptera. Br J Entomol Nat Hist 12:57–67

    Google Scholar 

  • Polidori C, Nieves-Aldrey JL, Gilbert F, Rotheray G (2014) Hidden in taxonomy: Batesian mimicry by a syrphid fly towards a Patagonian bumblebee. Insect Conserv Diver 7:32–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Polidori C, Scanni B, Scamoni E, Giovanetti M, Paxton RJ, Andrietti F (2005) Satellite flies (Leucophora personata, Diptera: Anthomyiidae) and other dipteran parasites of the communal bee Andrena agilissima (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae) on the island of Elba, Italy. J Nat Hist 39:2745–2758

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Polidori C, Borruso L, Boesi R, Andrietti F (2009) Segregation of temporal and spatial distribution between kleptoparasites and parasitoids of the eusocial sweat bee, Lasioglossum malachurum (Hymenoptera: Halictidae, Mutillidae). Entomol Sci 12:116–129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pont AC (1974) Family Anthomyiidae. In: A catalogue of the Diptera of the Americas south of the United States.96a. Museo de Zoología, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, pp. 1–21.

  • Quintero C, Garibaldi LA, Grez A, Polidori C, Nieves-Aldrey JL (2014) Galls of the temperate forest of southern South America: Argentina and Chile. In: Fernandes GW, Santos JC (eds) Neotropical Insect Galls. Springer, London, pp 429–463

    Google Scholar 

  • Schrader MN, LaBerge WE (1978) The nest biology of the bees Andrena (Melandrena) regularis Malloch and Andrena (Melandrena) carlini Cockerell (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae). Ill Nat Hist Surv Biol Notes 108:3–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith DR, Polidori C, Nieves-Aldrey JL (2014) Notes on two unusual species of Symphyta (Hymenoptera: Pergidae, Xiphydriidae) from Chile, with the first report of a gall-inducing sawfly from the Neotropical Region. Bol SEA 54:171–174

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang MM, Michelsen V, Li K, Zhu WB (2014) Supplementary catalogue of the Anthomyiidae (Diptera) of China. ZooKeys 453:71–109

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wei LM, Xue WQ, Cui CY (1998) The family Anthomyiidae of China (Diptera). In: Xue WQ, Chao CM (eds) Flies of China, vol 1. Liaoning Science and Technology Press, Shenyang, pp 634–808

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We are indebted to the staff at the Huinay Biological Station for the kind support during the study. Thanks are due to R. Henry L. Disney for the identification of some of the Diptera found during the study and to Rocío González Vaquero and Gabriel AR Melo for the help in the identification of Corynura spp. The study was funded by the program “Ayudas para la realización de estancias de investigación en el centro científico de la Fundación Huinay” (2012–2014) from a CSIC-Endesa partnership and by a post-doctoral contract (Program JAE-Doc “Junta para la Ampliación de Estudios” funded by the Spanish Research Council (CSIC) and the FSE). This is the publication no. 127 of Huinay Scientific Field Station.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Depto de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain

    C Polidori & J L Nieves-Aldrey

  2. Natural History Museum of Denmark, Univ of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    V Michelsen

Authors
  1. C Polidori
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. V Michelsen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J L Nieves-Aldrey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to C Polidori.

Additional information

Edited by Fernando B Noll – UNESP

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Polidori, C., Michelsen, V. & Nieves-Aldrey, J.L. Leucophora Satellite Flies (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) as Nest Parasites of Sweat Bees (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) in the Neotropics. Neotrop Entomol 44, 418–421 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13744-015-0301-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13744-015-0301-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation