Influence of parasitoid Paravilla sp. (Diptera, Bombyliidae) on the development of larvae of Myrmeleon brasiliensis (Návas, 1914) (Neuroptera, Myrmeleontidae)

Abstract Parasitoids manipulate the host metabolism for their own benefit by influencing its development and the direct or indirect result of it is the host death. This study aimed to observe the influence of parasitoidism of Paravilla sp. (Diptera, Bombyliidae) on the development of antlion larvae Myrmeleon brasiliensis (Návas, 1914) (Neuroptera, Myrmeleontidae). The specific objectives were to verify in which larval instars the parasitoid oviposition occurs, the influence of the parasitoid on the larval and pupal development time of M. brasiliensis, the differences in body length of the ant...