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

SERGIO OVRUSKI; ALLEN NORRBOM,; PABLO SCHLISERMAN,; MARTIN ALUJA,

ANNALS OF THE ENTOMOLOGYCAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA

Allen Press

Lugar: KS, USA; Año: 2005 vol. 98 p. 252 - 258

0013-8746

Rhagoletotrypeta argentinensis (Acze´ l) was recovered from Celtis iguanaea (Jacquin) Sargent, and R. parallela Norrbom and R. pastranai Acze´ l from Celtis pubescens (Kunth) Sprengel fruit (Ulmaceae) in the provinces of Catamarca, Tucuma´n, and Salta (northwestern Argentina). All represent new host plant records, and for R. parallela, the Þrst host plant record. Mean pupal weight of ßies fromC. pubescens (mean fruit weight 1.2 g) was 5.2_2.3mgand of ßies fromC. iguanaea (mean fruit weight 1.8 g) was 7.8 _ 1.3. Mean degree of infestation (number of larvae/100 g of fruit) was 29.6 for C. iguanaea and varied between 18.7 and 50.5 for C. pubescens. Most adults emerged after an 8Ð12-mo diapause period. Sixteen specimens of the larval-prepupal parasitoid Utetes sp., near U. anastrephae (Viereck) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Opiinae) were recovered from all fruit samples (overall parasitization rate was 37.2%). Parasitoids entered diapause that lasted up to 12 mo. We also describe a new species of Rhagoletotrypeta from Cuba belonging to the xanthogastra species group. Rhagoletotrypeta cubensis Norrbom, n. sp., is the only species in 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 Þndings in light of their taxonomic and ecological signiÞcance and with respect to the possibilities they open for the badly needed study of the zoogeography and behavior of ßies in tephritid genera of no apparent economic importance.