ARS | Publication request: REARING FOPIUS ARISANUS (SONAN) (HYMENOPTERA: BRACONIDAE) IN MEDITERRANEAN FRUIT FLY

Submitted to: Hawaiian Entomological Society Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: February 28, 2005
Publication Date: December 1, 2007
Citation: Harris, E.J., Bautista, R.C., Vargas, R.I., Jang, E.B. 2007. Rearing Fopius arisanus (Sonan) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae). Proc. Hawaiian Entomol Soc. 39:121-126.

Interpretive Summary: The egg-larval parasitoid Fopius arisanus is the most effective parasitoid established in the field in Hawaii suppressing the oriental fruit fly and medfly. A laboratory colony of F. arisanus reared on oriental fruit fly since 1986 was used as the source of parasitoids to establish a colony of F. arisanus on the medfly. Both colonies of the egg parasitoid are routinely mass reared and released to support the Hawaii AWIPM Program and to support classical biological control in French Polynesia and Reunion Island.

Technical Abstract: The egg-larval parasitoid Fopius (=Biosteres) arisanus (Sonan) (= Opius oophilus Fullaway) (Hymenotera: Braconidae) is the most effective parasitoid of the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel (Diptera: tephritidae)and Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly) Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann (Diptera: tephritidae). Based on field observations of F. arisanus parasitizing medfly in coffee and oriental fruit fly in guava, we postulated that a strain of F. arisanus could be selected in the laboratory to be exclusively reared on medfly. We report the results of these studies.