Ocyptamus antiphates (Walker 1849)

Ocyptamus antiphates is one of the most abundant and effective syrphids controlling populations of the aphid Toxoptera aurantii (Boy.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in cacao plantations of Southern Bahia, Brazil. Due to its ability to control aphid populations when prey density is still low, it is possible that this predator experiences food limitation during larval development. Therefore, it is important to understand the effects of food limitation on life history traits of this predator. A laboratory experiment was conducted to evaluate the daily change in the functional response of O. antiphates larvae to four aphid densities (10, 20, 50 and 100 aphids/day) and the implications of food level to larval development and survival. It was found that second instar larvae do not overexploit prey resources if it has up to 100 aphids available per day. In the first day of the third instar, prey consumption increases dramatically almost to the point of exhausting prey resources in the highest prey density. In the following days the larvae slow down metabolism because they approach the pre-pupa stage, reduce food intake and do not overexploit their prey at the maximum level of food availability. Mean larval development time from second instar to adult was longer and survival was lower under food limitation.

Ocyptamus antiphates is a species of syrphid fly in the family Syrphidae.