Native Hymenopteran Parasitoids Associated with Anastrepha spp. (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Seropedica City, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

• Published in: The Florida entomologist 2001-12, Vol.84 (4), p.706-711
• Main Authors: Aguiar-Menezes, Elen L., Menezes, Euripedes B., Silva, Patrícia S., Bittar, Ana C., Paulo Cesar R. Cassino
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anastrepha; Entomology; Fruit flies; Fruits; Insect larvae; Parasite hosts; Parasitism; Parasitoids; Plants; Prunes; Species; Tephritidae
• ISSN: 0015-4040; 1938-5102
• DOI: 10.2307/3496405

Parasitoids associated with five species of Anastrepha were recovered from host fruits that belong to 12 species of plants growing in Seropedica city, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We recovered six native hymenopteran parasitoid species: Doryctobracon areolatus (Szépligeti), Utetes (Bracanastrephae) anastrephae (Viereck), Opius bellus Gahan (Braconidae, Opiinae), Aganaspis pelleranoi (Brèthes) (Figitidae, Eucoilinae), Trichopria anastrephae Lima (Diapriidae, Diapriinae) and an unidentified species of Pteromalidae. The most abundant parasitoid species was D. areolatus, representing 61.8% of all parasitoids. The parasitoid species recovered were well established in a wide diversity of fruit and Anastrepha fly species, including economically important pests such as A. fraterculus, A. obliqua and A. sororcula. The analysis of the relative abundance of the recovered parasitoids in different fruit species suggests, at least for the three encountered opiine parasitoids, that the host-parasitoid relationship was influenced by certain physical characteristics such as size and weight of the host fruit. Our results support the original proposal of M. Aluja and J. Sivinski (pers. comm.) that some native host plant species for the Anastrepha flies facilitate parasitoid multiplication. They deserve attention as natural enemy reservoirs and may be important to biological control strategies within fruit fly integrated management programs. /// Parasitoides asociados a cinco especies de Anastrepha fueron recuperadas de frutos hospederos pertenecientes a 12 especies de plantas, en el municipio de Seropedica, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Se recuperaron seis especies de parasitoides himenópteros: Doryctobracon areolatus (Szépligeti), Utetes (Bracanastrephae) anastrephae (Viereck), Opius bellus Gahan (Braconidae, Opiinae), Aganaspis pelleranoi (Brèthes) (Figitidae, Eucoilinae), Trichopria anastrephae Lima (Diapriidae, Diapriinae) y una especie no identificada de Pteromalidae. La especie más abundante fue D. areolatus, representando 61,8% de todos los parasitoides. Las especies recuperadas de parasitoides están bien establecidas en una amplia diversidad de especies de frutos y moscas Anastrepha, incluyendo especies plagas como A. fraterculus, A. obliqua y A. sororcula. El análisis de la abundancia relativa de los parasitoides recuperados en las diferentes especies de frutos sugiere que por lo menos para los tres parasitoides Opiinae colectados, la relación parasitoide-hospedero fue influen