Patterns of resource distribution among conspecific larvae in two fruit fly species: Anastrepha fraterculus and Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) Agricultural and Forest Entomology

LIENDO, M. CLARA; DEVESCOVI, FRANCISCO; BOCA, TERESA; CLADERA, J; M. TERESA VERA; DF SEGURA

AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST ENTOMOLOGY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2016

1461-9555

1 Anastrepha fraterculus(Diptera: Tephritidae) andCeratitis capitata(Diptera: Tephritidae) are fruit fly pests whose larvae are frequently found sharing the same fruit withconspecifics. Because larvae are incapable of leaving the fruit in search of non-infestedfruit, they are forced to share nutritional resources and eventually compete with otherlarvae for these.2 In the present study, we investigated the effect of intraspecific competition on thedevelopment ofA. fraterculusandC. capitatalarvae, and compared the strategiesadopted by these species.3 To this end, newly-hatched larvae were transferred into a container with a fixed amountof larval diet at increasing larval densities and several developmental parameters weremeasured.4 The two species showed similarities and differences in the way in which theyresponded to an increasing density. InA. fraterculus, pupal weight and the durationof the larval stage decreased as the competition levels increased. Larvae ofC. capitatashowed a consistent reduction in pupal weight and larval survival as the larval densityincreased. In A. fraterculus, the reduction in pupal weight was heterogeneous, withmost pupae showing a marked decrease in weight and only few pupae showing slightnegative effects or no effect at all, whereas, inC. capitata, the reduction was similarfor all pupae.5 The differences in the way in which these species responded to competition suggestthat there are different patterns of resource distribution among conspecific larvae. Theimplications of these findings for oviposition behaviour and the life history of the twospecies are discussed