Effects of releasing two Diachasmimorpha longicaudata population lines for the control of Ceratitis capitata infesting three key host fruit species

SÁNCHEZ, GUILLERMO; KIRSCHBAUM, DANIEL S.; OVRUSKI, SERGIO M.; SÁNCHEZ, GUILLERMO; KIRSCHBAUM, DANIEL S.; OVRUSKI, SERGIO M.; SUÁREZ, LORENA; MURÚA, FERNANDO; MOLINA, DIEGO; SUÁREZ, LORENA; MURÚA, FERNANDO; MOLINA, DIEGO; BIANCHERI, MARÍA JOSEFINA BUONOCORE; FUNES, CLAUDIA F.; LARÍA, OSVALDO; BIANCHERI, MARÍA JOSEFINA BUONOCORE; FUNES, CLAUDIA F.; LARÍA, OSVALDO

BIOLOGICAL CONTROL

ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE

Año: 2019 vol. 133 p. 58 - 65

1049-9644

Exotic plants favor persistence and spread of the invasive medfly,Ceratitis capitata. Peach and orange are keyhost plants for medfly proliferation in Argentina. Consequently, actions to suppress medfly populations aretaken, especially those performing augmentative releases of parasitoids. This study provides information on thecapability of two population lines of the parasitoidDiachasmimorpha longicaudatato control medfly infesting thefruits of peach, as well as sour and sweet orange. One parasitoid line comes from non-irradiated larvae of wildmedfly. The other comes from irradiated larvae of the Temperature Sensitive Lethal Vienna-8 medfly strain. Theparasitoid host-finding ability in each aforementioned fruit species, the effectiveness of females to kill medflylarvae, the fruit height level preference for parasitoid foraging activity, and the influence of environmentalconditions on parasitoid performance were compared and assessed. Parasitoids foraged for 48 h on fruits artificially inoculated with wild medfly larvae infield cages. Females of both parasitoid lines showed a similareffectiveness pattern, foraged efficiently on fruit at ground and canopy levels, and were able to overcome localclimate conditions and to develop at least one new generation under natural environmental conditions. These outcomes may provide relevant information for the implementation of augmentative biological control againstmedfly.