Biology and taxonomy of Rhagoletotrypeta (Diptera: Tephritidae): A new species from Cuba and new host plant, parasitoid and distribution records from Northwestern Argentina.

OVRUSKI, S. M.; A.L., NORRBOM; P., SCHLISERMAN Y M., ALUJA

Annals of the Entomological Society of America

Allen Press, Inc.

Lugar: Kansas; Año: 2005 vol. 98 p. 252 - 258

0013 8746

Rhagoletotrypeta argentinensis (Aczél) was recovered from Celtis iguanaea (Jacquin) Sargent, and R. parallela Norrbom and R. pastranai Aczél from Celtis pubescens (Kunth) Sprengel fruit (Ulmaceae) in the provinces of Catamarca, Tucumán and Salta (NW Argentina).  All represent new host plant records, and in the case of R. parallela, the first host plant record.  Mean pupal weight of flies stemming from C. pubescens (fruit weight averages 1.2 g ) was 5.2 + 2.3 mg and of flies from C. iguanaea (fruit weight averages 1.8 g) was 7.8 + 1.3.  Mean degree of infestation (No. of larvae/100 g of fruit) was 29.6 in the case of C. iguanaea and varied between 18.7 and 50.5 in the case of C. pubescens.  Most adults emerged after a 8-12 month diapause period.  We also recovered 16 Utetes sp. near U. anastrephae (Viereck) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Opiinae), a larval-pupal parasitoid species.  Overall parasitization rate was 37.2%.  Parasitoids entered diapause that lasted up to 12 months.  Rhagoletotrypeta cubensis Norrbom, n. sp. is described from Cuba. It is the first species belonging to this genus known from the West Indies.  The distribution records reported here also extend the known ranges for all four species of Rhagoletotrypeta known from Argentina.  We discuss our findings in light of their taxonomic and ecological significance and with respect to the possibilities they open for the badly needed study of the zoogeography and behavior of flies in tephritid genera of no apparent economic importance.