Ecological aspects of lepidopteran caterpillar parasitoids from Caryocar brasiliense Camb. (Caryocaraceae) in a cerrado sensu stricto of Central Brazil

摘要

This study quantified parasitoid occurrence on five lepidopteran caterpillars species that use Caryocar brasiliense as host plant, trying to verify if there was a direct relationship between host abundance and the proportion of parasitism; if leaf shelters served as cues or protection from parasitoids; if host size influenced the proportion of parasitism, and if attacks by Diptera were more frequent than by Hymenoptera. Searches for external folivorous caterpillars were carried out in an area of cerrado sensu stricto, from July/2003 to June/2004. Caterpillars were more parasitized when occurred on mature leaves. Nola sp. (Noctuiidae) had the highest proportion of parasitism and a negative correlation between their body size and parasitoid attack. Caterpillars that constructed shelters suffered lower parasitism than those exposed. Hymenopteran parasitoids were more abundant than Dipteran parasitoids attacking caterpillars on C. brasiliense leaves. In general, parasitoid species richness and the proportion of parasitism in lepidopteran caterpillar on C. brasiliense showed associations with host population density, their life strategy, diet and leaf nutritional quality.