Host Suitability and Fitness-Related Parameters in Coptera haywardi (Hymenoptera: Diapriidae) Reared on Irradiated Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) Pupae Stemming From the tsl Vienna-8 Genetic Sexing Strain

SUÁREZ, LORENA; MURÚA, FERNANDO; ALUJA, MARTÍN; BUONOCORE BIANCHERI, MARÍA JOSEFINA; MOLINA, DIEGO; OVRUSKI, SERGIO M; NÚÑEZ-CAMPERO, SEGUNDO R; CANCINO, JORGE; LARÍA, OSVALDO

JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY

ENTOMOLOGICAL SOC AMER

Lugar: Lanham; Año: 2020

0022-0493

Coptera haywardi(Ogloblin) is a pupal endoparasitoid of tephritid flies with great potential as a biological control agent worldwide as it does not attack other Diptera. To reach its full potential, its mass rearing needs to be enhanced lowering costs. Here, we focused on the use of irradiated pupae of Ceratitis capitata(Wiedemann) stemming from the temperature-sensitive lethal (tsl) Vienna-8 genetic sexing strain (= CcVienna-8), which is mass-produced in the San Juan Medfly and Parasitoid Mass Rearing Facility in Argentina. Exposure of 1- to 2-d-old CcVienna-8pupae irradiated at 90 Gy to 6- to 8-d-old C. haywardifemales at a 10:1 host/parasitoid ratio for 24 h turned out to be highly successful for the rearing of this parasitoid. High radiation doses (90?100 Gy) did not adversely influence fitness parameters of C. haywardioffspring F1, namely lifetime reproductive rates, adult life expectancy, and survival time. Demographic parameters in C. haywardiF1 from irradiated CcVienna-8young pupae were improved compared to those values recorded from parasitoid originated from nonirradiated CcVienna-8pupae. These findings will help to enhance parasitoid mass rearing for augmentative releases against medfly in Argentinean fruit-producing regions