First record of the association of a species of Lycaenidae (Lepidoptera) with Zornia latifolia Sm. (Fabaceae), and its parasitoid (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) in Brazil

The family Lycaenidae (Lepidoptera) comprises over 6,000 described and widely distributed species. However, studies on interactions with other insects such as ants, parasitoids, and with food plants in the Neotropical region, are still scarce, even though such information are fundamental for better understanding the natural history of this taxonomic group. This study reports a new food plant to larvae of Lycaenidae species in the neotropics, as well as its parasitoid. Lycaenidae larva (n = 1) was found and collected for immature stage observation under laboratory conditions. The larva fed on petals and seeds of Zornia latifolia Sm. (Fabaceae). Nineteen days after pupation in laboratory one larvipupal parasitoid of the genus Conura (Chalcididae) had egressed. This is the first report of tritrophic relationship amongst Z. latifolia, a Lycaenidae larva and its larvipupal parasitoid of the genus Conura in a periurban area near remnants of the Atlantic Forest in Northeastern Brazil.

In the case of Lycaenidae, a Lepidopteran family distributed worldwide with over 6,000 described species, the lack of inventories and information about immature and adults stages has been impeding advances in resolving taxonomic and evolutionary issues for this group, as well as limiting bioecological information regarding associations among other insects such as ants and parasitoids, mainly in the Neotropics (PierCe et al. 2002;Duarte 2007). In Brazil, there are about 426 valid species (Duarte & robbins 2015). Although the literature is scarce, it is known that most larvae of neotropical species feed on the reproductive organs of phanerogams, for example Malpighiaceae, Malvaceae and Oxalidaceae (KaminsKi & Freitas 2010;silva et al. 2016;vargas et al. 2016).
Lycaenid populations are naturally controlled by predators (e.g., birds, spiders, wasps, and ants), and parasitoids of the eggs, larvae and pupae (souraKov 2013;Pinheiro & Cintra 2017). This study reports a new food plant to larvae of Lycaenidae species in the neotropics, as well as a biological control agent.
Larva (n = 1) and plant were found and collected at Campus A. C. Simões, Federal University of Alagoas (9°33'20" S 35°46'37" W) ( Figure 1A), and the observations were carried out in the Bioecology Insect Laboratory at the Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, during April 2019. The phytophagy test for confirmation of the food plant was performed using as a rearing container an acrylic pot (39.25 mL) with a paper towel covering its inner base, moistened with a drop of water (~0.05 mL) on which the plant part and larva were placed. The rearing system was cleaned daily, by replacing the paper towel, as well as the plant, until feeding stopped (prepupa). When it reached the pupal stage, was transferred to the cage (lima & Carvalho 2017). The minimum and maximum values of temperature (°C) and relative humidity (%) were recorded daily (averages, respectively, 25.3 °C to 27 °C; and 74.7% to 56.3%).
The Lycaenidae was labelled using the identification keys available (Dias 2006)  Perez et al. 2015), occurring in Cerrado, rupestrian fields, forest boundaries and in sandbanks; it has excellent forage capability and is also used in traditional medicine (lorenzi 2000;Ferreira et al. 2015). In this study, Lycaenidae larva, with the color pattern uniformly light green and tegument covered with translucent short setae, attacked petals and green seeds ( Figures 1B and 1C (Kanagaraj & Kathirvelu 2018). In addition, Zornia latifolia was also recorded for Eurema elathea (Cramer) (Pieridae) in Brazil (Fontes et al. 2007).
Nineteen days after pupation in laboratory, one parasitoid of the genus Conura egressed from a lycaenid through a circular opening in the lateral part of the thorax (Figures 1D  and 1E). Larvae of the Cyanophrys bertha (Jones) and Strymon crambusa (Hewitson) collected in the field and reared in laboratory were also parasitized, and after pupation one Conura species egressed after 18 and 20 days, respectively silva et al. 2016). Lycaenidae species have the pupal period between 5 and 13 days (silva et al. 2016;Kumar et al. 2017;sontaKKe 2018). Conura parasitoid species here recorded extended about 1,5 times this development stage of its host lycaenid.
This study reports, for the first time, the tritrophic relationship amongst Z. latifolia, a Lycaenidae larva and its larvipupal parasitoid of the genus Conura in a periurban area near remnants of the Atlantic Forest, in Northeastern Brazil. This also contributes with important basic information for understanding the dynamics of ecological interaction networks including this lepidopteran family. Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Alagoas for research fellowship to the first author (FAPEAL).