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Manipulation of Wasp (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) Behavior by the Entomopathogenic Fungus Ophiocordyceps humbertii in the Atlantic Forest in Ceará, Brazil1

2020; American Entomological Society; Volume: 129; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3157/021.129.0115

2162-3236

Jober Fernando Sobczak, Italo Diego Paiva Arruda, Emily Oliveira Fonseca, Paulo Julião Queiroz Rabelo, FRANCISCO AGEU DE SOUSA NÓBREGA, Joedson Castro Pires, Alexandre Somavilla,

Entomopathogenic Microorganisms in Pest Control

Behavioral manipulation of hosts by parasites is important to increase the parasite fitness. Some species within the genus Ophiocordyceps, notably pathogens of ants, induce changes in the host's behavior, leading the host to die outside the colony and locking its mandibles on the edge of leaves. This study was conducted in Massif of Baturité, and for the first time, we describe the interaction between fungi and wasps in Northeastern Brazil. We found 24 specimens, eight of each species of wasp, all infected with Ophiocordyceps humbertii. The wasps were Agelaia pallipes, Apoica flavissima, and Polybia chrysothorax. All the hosts were found with their mandibles biting along the edges of leaves.