Rearing, Life History, and Seasonal Abundance Studies on Opius bellus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Opiinae), an Anastrepha spp. Parasitoid

SCHLISERMAN, PABLO; BEZDJIAN, LAURA P.; NUÑEZ CAMPERO, SEGUNDO R.; OROÑO, LUIS EDUARDO; VAN NIEUWENHOVE, GUIDO A.; ALBORNOZ MEDINA, PATRICIA; MARTÍN, CRISTINA B.; BUONOCORE, JOSEFINA; CHIAPPINI, CAROLINA; OVRUSKI, SERGIO MARCELO; ALUJA, MARTÍN

Mazatlán, Sinaloa, México,

Workshop; 7ma Reunión del Grupo de Trabajo en Moscas de la Fruta del Hemisferio Occidental; 2008

Mazatlán, Sinaloa, México,

Opius bellus is a widespread Neotropical, koinobiont, larval endoparasitoid of Anastrepha genera. Only data on distribution, taxonomy, host fly range, host fruit association, and abundance in the field were previously published for this fruit fly parasitoid. Due to the importance of O. bellus as a parasitoid of Anastrepha fraterculus in NW Argentina, we have much interest in establishing for first time a laboratory rearing of this wasp in the insectary of PROIMI. Therefore, we made a systematic fruit sampling throughout four  years (September/1999 to August/2003) in a secondary forest area belong to Yungas’ subtropical rainforest, located in Tucumán. We collected five host fruit species: Juglans australis (Juglandaceae), Citrus aurantium (Rutaceae), Psidium guajava (Myrtaceae), Eriobotrya japonica, and Prunus persica (Rosaceae). Several specimens of O. bellus were obtained from A. fraterculus pupae collected from P. guajava and P. persica, and from mixed pupae of A. fraterculus and A. shultzi collected from J. australis. Opius bellus was present in the field from December to April, and it had a diapause period from May to November. Opius bellus was successfully developed on artificially reared A. fraterculus larvae in the Laboratory. Three different oviposition substrate types were gradually utilized to colonize this parasitoid species: 1) fruit guava filled with host larvae, 2) artificial oviposition units filled with host larvae plus fruit guava pulp, and 3) artificial oviposition units only filled with host larvae. The O. bellus adults used in the life history studies stemmed from a colony that was 14 generations old. Main daily fecundity was (2.04 + 0.04) female offspring by parental female for maternal age intervals from 19 to 21 days. Sex ratio was (226.90 + 279.20)for the progeny of F14, and development time of immature stages at 25± 1ºC was (25.75+ 2.76) for females, and (24.33 + 1.51) for males.