A tritrophic interaction at the Brazilian triple frontier: new record of parasitism on Conocephalus saltator (Sausurre, 1859) (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae)

Abstract

We report for the first time a tritrophic relationship (host-parasitoid-hyperparasitoid) among Conocephalus saltator (Sausurre, 1859) (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae), Ormia cfr. crespoi Tavares, 1965 (Diptera, Tachinidae), and Perilampus sp. (Hymenoptera, Perilampidae). Specimens of C. saltator were collected at the Parque Nacional do Iguaçu (Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brazil) and reared in the laboratory, in order to detect eventual parasitoids. We collected and reared 904 katydids, with 113 of them parasitized, producing 123 fly puparia, and 18 puparia that developed to adults of Ormia cfr. crespoi. We also recorded the emergence of four hyperparasitoid wasps, Perilampus sp., from the fly puparia.