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

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

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 controlagent worldwide as it does not attack other Diptera. To reach its full potential, its mass rearing needs to be enhancedlowering costs. Here, we focused on the use of irradiated pupae of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) stemming fromthe temperature-sensitive lethal (tsl) Vienna-8 genetic sexing strain (= CcVienna-8), which is mass-produced in the SanJuan Medfly and Parasitoid Mass Rearing Facility in Argentina. Exposure of 1- to 2-d-old CcVienna-8 pupae irradiated at90 Gy to 6- to 8-d-old C. haywardi females at a 10:1 host/parasitoid ratio for 24 h turned out to be highly successfulfor the rearing of this parasitoid. High radiation doses (90?100 Gy) did not adversely influence fitness parameters ofC. haywardi offspring F1, namely lifetime reproductive rates, adult life expectancy, and survival time. Demographicparameters in C. haywardi F1 from irradiated CcVienna-8 young pupae were improved compared to those values recorded from parasitoid originated from nonirradiated CcVienna-8 pupae. These findings will help to enhance parasitoidmass rearing for augmentative releases against medfly in Argentinean fruit-producing regions.