title: Geographic distribution, large-scale spatial structure and diversity of parasitoids of the seed-feeding beetle Acanthoscelides macrophthalmus.
abstract: Bruchine beetles are highly host-specific seed feeders during the larval stage. Although some specific parasitoid families have been recorded attacking bruchine beetles, most studies have been done at small spatial scales. Therefore, the current knowledge about the diversity and the geographic distribution of parasitoid species parasitizing bruchines is scarce, especially at a wide geographic area that extends over large distances through a latitudinal cline (i.e. large-scale spatial structure). The present study determined the species richness and evenness of parasitoids attacking the bruchine beetle Acanthoscelides macrophthalmus feeding on Leucaena leucocephala seeds, examined their geographic distribution, and characterized the large-scale spatial structure in parasitoid species composition. A total of 1420 parasitoids (all Hymenoptera) belonging to four families, five subfamilies and eight species were collected (genera: Horismenus, Paracrias, Urosigalphus, Stenocorse, Chryseida, Eupelmus). Most parasitoid species showed wide spatial distribution, high evenness in species abundance and the species richness estimators were close to stabilization (approximately eight species). Overall, greater similarity was observed in the species composition of plant populations near to each other than those farther apart, revealing a large-scale spatial structure in parasitoid species composition.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Biológicas,Universidade Federal de São Paulo, LEPOP (Laboratório de Ecologia Populacional),Diadema, SP,Brazil.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Biológicas,Universidade Federal de São Paulo, LEPOP (Laboratório de Ecologia Populacional),Diadema, SP,Brazil.
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Haga
authors.affiliation: Centro Experimental do Instituto Biológico, Instituto Biológico,Campinas, SP,Brazil.
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Biológicas,Universidade Federal de São Paulo, LEPOP (Laboratório de Ecologia Populacional),Diadema, SP,Brazil.
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Rossi
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D000818:Animals; D058448:Biota; D001938:Brazil; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000254:growth & development / Q000469:parasitology*; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000254:growth & development; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006927:Hymenoptera / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D058865:Introduced Species; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development / Q000469:parasitology / Q000502:physiology; D010572:Pest Control, Biological
keywords: 
                 Acanthoscelides macrophthalmus
              ; 
                 Leucaena leucocephala
              ; biological control; community structure; host–parasitoid interaction; parasitoid distribution