Quality Control Parameters of Diachasmimorpha longicaudata Reared on Anastrepha fraterculus Larvae

BEZDJIAN L. ; NUÑEZ CAMPERO S. R. ; VAN NIEUWENHOVE G. ; MARTIN C. ; BUONOCORE J. ; CHIAPPINI C. ; ALBORNOZ-MEDINA P. ; SCHLISERMAN, P. ; OROÑO L. ; OVRUSKI S. M.; CANCINO-DIAZ J.

Sinaloa

Simposio; 7ma Reunión del grupo de trabajo de moscas de la fruta del hemisferio occidental; 2008

Estados Unidos Mexicanos, Gobierno Federal SAGARPA, Vivir Mejor, SENASICA, USDA, IAEA

Quality control parameters of Diachasmimorpha longicaudata reared on third instar Anastrepha fraterculus larvae at 26 ± 1 ºC, 75 ± 5% RH, and 12:12 (L:D) h photoperiod were analyzed in order to evaluate the rearing process and the final product in an experimental rearing of this fruit fly parasitoid. The study was performed in the Insectary of PROIMI-CONICET, Biological Control Division, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina. The colony of D. longicaudata used for experiments originated from a strain adapted to laboratory conditions using Anastrepha ludens larvae as a host and was obtained from the Biological Control Laboratory of the Mexico Moscamed-Moscafrut National Program, Chiapas, México. Financial support to introduction, establishment and study of D. longicaudata in Argentina was provided by the Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica, Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva de Argentina (Grants PICT/97 n° 01236 and PICTO/02 n° 12909). Approximately 140 host larvae were exposed to 35 parasitoid females for 1 h, 1.30 h, and 2 h each three days. The parental female productivity and fecundity, offspring sex ratio, % parasitoid emergence, % parasitism, daily survival and longevity of parental females and males, and host larval and pupal mortality were evaluated for every maternal parasitoid age interval (1-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12,13-15, 16-18, 19-21, 22-24, 25-27, 28-30, 31-33 age days). Each treatment was replicated three times. There was no statistical difference between most of the parameters obtained with different host exposure times to parasitoid. Higher fecundity were found at 7-9 and 10-12 maternal age intervals (2.4 2.6 female offspring by parental female). Female biased offspring were always found for all host exposure times. The results of this preliminary study on quality control parameters of D. longicaudata will be helpful in the near future to develop an optimum mass-rearing system using A. fraterculus larvae as host.