RELATIVE AND SEASONAL ABUNDANCE OF HYMENOPTEROUS PARASITOIDS ASSOCIATED TO ANASTREPHA FRATERCULUS, A. SCHULTZI AND CERATITIS CAPITATA (DIPTERA: TEPHRITIDAE) IN THE SUBTROPICAL RAINFOREST OF NORTHWESTERN ARGENTINA

SCHLISERMAN, PABLO; OVRUSKI, SERGIO MARCELO; NUÑEZ CAMPERO, SEGUNDO R.; SIVINSKI, JOHN; ALUJA, MARTÍN

Salvador, Bahia, Brasil

Simposio; 7º International Symposium on Fruit Flies of economic importance & 6º meeting of the working group of fruit flies of the western hemisphere; 2006

There have been few studies on the native parasitoid fauna of tephritid fruit flies in Argentina. New studies on bioecology of these wasps are needed to know possibility for using them in biological control programs. Four fruit flies parasitoids guilds were recorded for Neotropical region. First guild includes a single koinobiont egg-pupal, endoparasitoid species (Fopius arisanus). Second guild includes koinobiont larval-pupal endoparasitoids, for example braconids such as Doryctobracon areolatus, D. brasiliensis, Opius bellus, Utetes anastrephae, and figitids such as Aganaspis pelleranoi, Odontosema anastrephae, and others. Third guild involves ideobiont pupal endoparasitoids, like diaprids Coptera haywardi and Trichopria anastrephae. Fourth guild includes ideobiont pupal ectoparasitoids like pteromalid Pachycrepoideus vindemiae, and Spalangia spp. In our research we colleted fruit samples once a week, during four years, from south rain forest mountain (Las Yungas) in NW Argentina. Fruit samples were ramdomly collected from the canopy of trees and the ground below when available, and store behind labs conditions in order to obtain fruit flies pupae, then after data process, we obtaind the abundance of fruit flies and parasitoid, and also the infestation levels and parasitism percentage. The fruit host species sampled were: Juglans australis (native), Psidium guajava, Eriobotrya. japonica, Citrus aurantium and Prunus persica (exotics). We conclude that all parasitoids obtained were koinobiont larval-pupal endoparasitoids (2º guild), and they belong to Figitidae and Braconidae families. It is important to note that Aganaspis pelleranoi was able to be reared on Anastrepha fraterculus, A. shultzi as well as Ceratitis capitata, and it was presents in all fruit samples. In contrast, the braconids Doryctobracon areolatus, D. Brasiliensis, Opius bellus and Utetes anastrephae only attacked Anastrepha spp., and they presence were variable according to fruit species. Seasonal analysis aported new knowledge on parasitoid relative abundance and parasitism levels which change according to fruit fly host and annual periods. The highest parasitism levels were recorded between November and February, with a maximun level in January (summer season – warm and rainy). Parasitoids abundance showed positive relation with rain periods, in other way minimal temperature have a negative relation with this variable, and both were the principal factors affecting the parasitoids abundance. These results show that A. pelleranoi and D. areolatus are potential species for implementing in mass rearing to be used in aumentative releases against A. fraterculus in biological control programs in several growing fruit regions in Argentina.