Foliar characteristics of neotropical forest affect assemblages structure of parasitoid insects

Several authors suggest that greater vegetation complexity provides more shelters, supporting higher parasitoid diversity. Additionally, it serves as visual cue in host searching. This study evaluates how visual stimuli and herbivore-induced vegetation changes affect parasitoid strategies and guilds in low deciduous forest [Yabucu], and Medium Semi-Evergreen forest [Noh-Bec]. We calculated the relative abundance of idiobiont and koinobiont life strategies for each vegetation type and constructed the range-abundance curves of these communities. Also, the relationship of guilds with the different types of damage from herbivory and leaf characteristics were described. The koinobiont:idiobiont (K:I) ratio was 6:1 (86.65% koinobionts and 13.35% idiobionts) in Yabucú and 1:2 (32.78% koinobionts and 67.22% idiobionts) in Noh-Bec. Some guilds were associated with vegetation: a negative correlation between fluctuating asymmetry seedlings (FAS) and parasitoids attacking larvae into the fruiting bodies of fungi was founded; the FAS is an indirect indicator of herbivory, nonetheless, the parasitoids found do not target phytophagous hosts, which makes an inverse relationship plausible and could potentially reduce intra-guild competition. Hyperparasitoids were positively associated with holes in adult plants (HA); with an association with herbivore parasitoids, which could be contributing to the recorded evidence of holes.