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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Insect Behavior and Biocontrol Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #181217
Title: Colonization and domestication of seven species of native New World hymenopterous larval-prepupal and pupal fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) parasitoids

Author
item ALUJA, MARTIN - INST. DE ECOL., MEXICO
item Sivinski, John
item OVRUSKI, SERGIO - (PROIMI), ARGENTINA
item GUILLEN, LARISSA - INST. DE ECOL., MEXICO
item LOPEZ, MAURILIO - INST. DE ECOL., MEXICO
item CANCINO, JORGE - CAMP. NAT.MOSCAS, MEXICO
item TORRES-ANAYA, ARMANDO - INST. DE ECOL., MEXICO
item GALLEGOS-CHAN, GUADALUPE - INST. DE ECOL., MEXICO
item RUIZ, LIA - CAMP. NAT.MOSCAS, MEXICO

Submitted to: Biocontrol Science and Technology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/14/2006
Publication Date: 8/1/2009
Citation: Aluja, M., Sivinski, J.M., Ovruski, S., Guillen, L., Lopez, M., Cancino, J., Torres-Anaya, A., Gallegos-Chan, G., Ruiz, L. 2009. Colonization and domestication of seven species of native New World hymenopterous larval-prepupal and pupal fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) parasitoids. Biocontrol Science and Technology. 19:49-80.

Interpretive Summary: Interpretive Summary Fruit flies, such as the West Indian and Caribbean fruit flies, are invasive pests that not only destroy crops but are the cause of trade barriers where ever they occur. One means of preventing such invasions is to suppress fruit fly populations in countries neighboring the USA. Scientists at the Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology (Gainesville, Florida) in collaboration with colleagues at the Instituto de Ecologia (Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico) have explored the possibility of pest control by mass-rearing and releasing parasitoids that attack fruit flies. A necessary first step was to develop rearing techniques for seven species of Mexican parasitoids. Future work will concentrate on the use of these parasitoids in area-wide pest management.

Technical Abstract: Abstract We describe the techniques used to colonize and domesticate seven native New World species of hymenopterous parasitoids that attack flies within the genus Anastrepha (Diptera: Tephritidae). All parasitoid species successfully developed on artificially reared Mexican fruit fly, Anastrepha ludens (Loew) larvae or pupae. The parasitoid species colonized were the following: Doryctobracon areolatus (Szépligeti), Doryctobracon crawfordi (Viereck), Opius hirtus (Fischer), Utetes anastrephae (Viereck) (all Braconidae, Opiinae), Aganaspis pelleranoi (Bréthes) and Odontosema anastrephae Borgmeier (both Figitidae, Eucoilinae) (all larval-pupal parasitoids), and the pupal parasitoid Coptera haywardi (Ogloblin) (Diapriidae, Diapriinae). We provide detailed descriptions of the different rearing techniques used throughout the domestication process to help researchers elsewhere to colonize local parasitoids. We also describe handling procedures such as sex determination (e.g., length of the antennae) and number of hosts in parasitization units and compare optimal host and female age, differences in parasitism rate, developmental time, life expectancy and variation in sex ratios in each parasitoid species over various generations. In the case of D. crawfordi and C. haywardi we also provide partial information on mass-rearing techniques such as cage type, parasitization unit, larval irradiation dose and adult handling.