Genetics and biology of Anastrepha fraterculus: Research supporting the use of the sterile insect technique (SIT) to control this pest in Argentina

Two species of true fruit flies (taxonomic family Tephritidae) are considered pests of fruit and vegetable production in Argentina: the cosmopolitan Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann) and the new world South American fruit fly (Anastrepha fraterculus Wiedemann). The distribution of these two species in Argentina overlaps north of the capital, Buenos Aires. Regarding the control of these two pests, the varied geographical fruit producing regions in Argentina are in different fly control situations. One part is under a programme using the sterile insect technique (SIT) for the eradication of C. capitata, because A. fraterculus is not present in this area. The application of the SIT to control C. capitata north of the present line with the possibility of A. fraterculus occupying the niche left vacant by C. capitata becomes a cause of much concern. Only initial steps have been taken to investigate the genetics and biology of A. fraterculus. Consequently, only fragmentary information has been recorded in the literature regarding the use of SIT to control this species. For these reasons, the research to develop a SIT protocol to control A. fraterculus is greatly needed. In recent years, research groups have been building a network in Argentina in order to address particular aspects of the development of the SIT for Anastrepha fraterculus. The problems being addressed by these groups include improvement of artificial diets, facilitation of insect mass rearing, radiation doses and conditions for insect sterilisation, basic knowledge supporting the development of males-only strains, reduction of male maturation time to facilitate releases, identification and isolation of chemical communication signals, and a good deal of population genetic studies. This paper is the product of a concerted effort to gather all this knowledge scattered in numerous and often hard-toaccess reports and papers and summarize their basic conclusions in a single publication.Fil: Cladera, Jorge Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Genética; ArgentinaFil: Vilardi, Juan Cesar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Cs.exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Genética de Población Aplicadas; ArgentinaFil: Juri, Marianela Lucia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Genética; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Cs.exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Genética de Población Aplicadas; ArgentinaFil: Paulin, Laura Elisa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Cs.exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Genética de Población Aplicadas; ArgentinaFil: Giardini, M. Cecilia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Genética; ArgentinaFil: Gómez Cendra, Paula Valeria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Cs.exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Genética de Población Aplicadas; ArgentinaFil: Segura, Diego Fernando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Genética; ArgentinaFil: Lanzavecchia, Silvia Beatriz. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Genética; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

The mango tree in central and northern Benin : inventario de los cultivares, estimacion de los rendimientos, fases afectadas y perdidas causadas por las moscas de las frutas (Diptera Tephritidae)

Le manguier occupe une place particulièrement importante dans l'économie rurale des zones centrales et septentrionales du Bénin. Pendant la fin de la saison sèche, la mangue constitue un apport nutritionnel fondamental par sa forte teneur en nutriments. Mais, au Bénin, les producteurs de mangues sont confrontés à deux contraintes étroitement liées l'une à l'autre : défaut de qualité du fruit imputable aux mouches des fruits et insuffisance de techniques adéquates de " post-récolte ". Dans la zone soudanienne béninoise, les mouches des fruits (Diptera Tephritidae) sont la contrainte majeure responsable de pertes considérables de production. Matériel et méthodes. L'inventaire des cultivars présents au Mali et les estimations de rendements des principaux cultivars de manguier (Gouverneur, Eldon, Dabshar, Kent, Smith, Keitt, Brooks) ont été menés sur 7000 fruits autour de Parakou durant les années 2005 et 2006. Des échantillonnages de 3000 petits fruits (de 13 mm à 26 mm) ont été réalisés en 2006 afin de savoir quels étaient les stades les plus précoces à être attaqués. Des estimations de pertes au niveau des stades de pré-maturité et maturité de 7 750 fruits ont été également faites en 2006. Résultats et discussion. Nous avons identifié 29 cultivars dans le département du Borgou qui concentre environ 75 % des vergers de manguiers du Bénin. La plupart d'entre eux appartiennent à un système de production de " type cueillette ". Le cultivar précoce Gouverneur (1,8 t·ha-1) a eu le plus faible rendement et le cultivar tardif Brooks a eu le rendement le plus élevé (10,4 t·ha-1). Les petits fruits immatures ont permis le développement complet de C. cosyra comme de B. invadens durant les mois de février et mars, soit bien avant la campagne mangue ; cela pourrait avoir des applications sur la lutte. Pour les stades de pré-maturité et maturité des fruits, les pertes moyennes dues aux Tephritidae ont varié de 0,34 t·ha-1 à 6,5 t·ha-1 selon les cultivars et elles ont occasionné une perte de revenus considérable pour les petits planteurs. En prenant en compte la moyenne de tous les cultivars, les pertes atteignent 17 % en début d'avril pour dépasser 70 % à la mi-juin. Plus de 50 % de pertes ont été enregistrés au milieu de la campagne de mangue. Le cv. de saison Eldon et les cv. tardifs (Keitt, Brooks) ont été les plus infestés. Conclusion. Les deux espèces majeures de Tephritidae d'intérêt économique pour le manguier dans le Nord du Bénin sont B. invadens et C. cosyra. Cette étude préliminaire devrait servir de base au calcul d'un seuil économique de nuisibilité de ces Tephritidae du manguier dans un prochain article. (Résumé d'auteur

Notes on the frugivorous fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) fauna of western Africa, with description of a new Dacus species

The species richness of the frugivorous fruit fly fauna of western African (in particular of Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria) is discussed. The diversity is compared at a national level and between the ecoregions within the national boundaries of the study area. A new species, Dacus goergeni sp. nov. is described and additional taxonomic notes are presented

Annotated checklist and illustrated key to braconid parasitoids (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) of economically important fruit flies (Diptera, Tephritidae) in Brazil

The braconid parasitoids of fruit-infesting flies have been more intensively studied from the middle to late 1990s, when taxonomic research was restarted in Brazil. At the same time, efforts toward the biological control of fruit flies intensified, and an exotic species, Diachasmimorpha longicaudata, was introduced. In the decade 2010, another exotic species, Fopius arisanus, was introduced, and two new species of Doryctobracon were described. Currently, 12 species of braconids from the subfamilies Alysiinae (two species) and Opiinae (10 species) are associated with fruit flies of economic importance in Brazil, two of which are introduced species. More than half of the species belong to the genus Doryctobracon, with D. areolatus (Szépligeti) the most widely distributed species in Brazil.Fil: Fidelis Marinho, Claudia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Catamarca. Universidad Nacional de Catamarca. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Catamarca; ArgentinaFil: Costa, Valmir A.. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Zucchi, Roberto A.. Universidade do Sao Paulo. Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz; Brasi

An annotated checklist of the Tephritidae (Diptera) of Florida

A total of 73 species of tephritid flies has been recorded from Florida since the early 1800s. Of these, 7 species are considered to represent occasional waifs or accidental introductions from surrounding regions that are not known to have established populations in Florida; 6 are exotic pests which failed to colonize or were extirpated; and 7 species are represented only by early literature records and are considered dubious for the state. Thus, the tephritid fauna of Florida currently comprises a total of 53 species of which 1 species is precinctive to the state and considered to be endangered

Diversity and Abundance of Hymenopterous Parasitoids Associated with Anastrepha fraterculus (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Native and Exotic Host Plants in Misiones, Northeastern Argentina

Some Major host species used by the tephritid fruit flies Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiede-mann) and Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), including Acca sellowiana (O. Berg) Burret, Campomanesia xanthocarpa O. Berg, Psidium guajava L., Prunus persica (L.) Batsch, Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl., Citrus reticulata Blanco var. Murcott, C. aurantium L., C. paradisi Macfadyen var. Dalan Dan, and C. paradisi var. Sudashi, were sampled for fruit fly larvae between Feb and Dec 2000 in the northernmost section of the Paranaense forest, in the Province of Misiones, NE Argentina. Both A. fraterculus and C. capitata were obtained from these host plant species, with A. fraterculus accounting for 93% of all tephritid puparia identified. Ten species of larval-pupal parasitoids were recovered from A. fraterculus; Doryctobracon areolatus (Szépligeti), D. brasiliensis (Szépligeti), Utetes anastrephae (Viereck), Opius bellus (Gahan), Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead) (Opiinae, raconidae), Odontosema anastrephae Borgmeier, Lopheucoila anastrephae (Rohwer), Aganaspis pelleranoi (Brèthes) (Eucoilinae, Figitidae), Asobara anastrephae (Muessebeck) (Alyssinae, Braconidae), and Aceratoneuromyia indica (Silvestri) (Tetrastichinae, Eulophidae). All these parasitoids, with the exception of D. longicaudata and A. indica, are native to the Neotropical region. No parasitoids were recovered from C. capitata puparia. Asobara anastrephae and O. anastrephae are newly recorded in Argentina, whereas D. brasiliensis, U. anastrephae, and L. anastrephae are newly reported in Misiones. The eucoiline A. pelleranoi wasthe most abundant parasitoid species. Acca sellowiana and P. guajava harbored the highest parasitoid abundance and diversity.Fil: Schliserman, Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Catamarca. Universidad Nacional de Catamarca. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Catamarca; ArgentinaFil: Ovruski Alderete, Sergio Marcelo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; ArgentinaFil: Decoll, Olga. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Misiones; ArgentinaFil: Wharton, Robert. Texas A&M University; Estados Unido

Biological Control of Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Argentina: Releases of Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in Fruit-Producing Semi-Arid Areas of San Juan

The Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly), Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) is one of the major pests of fruit crops in Argentina and it is a phytosanitary barrier to the export of fresh fruits. In the Province of San Juan, located in the central-eastern region of Argentina known as Cuyo, control strategies against Medfly in fruit-producing irrigated-valleys have been implemented by the National Fruit Fly Control and Eradication Program (ProCEM) jointly with the provincial government and the producers. This program uses an area-wide integrated pest management approach that includes the use of environment-friendly strategies to suppress or eradicate Medfly, such as the useof the sterile insect technique and the application of new-generation bait sprays, and more recently the release of the Indo-Pacific parasitoid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead). This exotic larval-prepupal endoparasitoid is being mass-reared on larvae of Vienna 8 TSL C. capitata strain at the BioPlanta San Juan facility. In this respect, the objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of laboratory-reared D. longicaudata females in order to find and successfully parasitize Medfly larvae in different host fruit species once released under semi-arid environmental conditions in ecologically isolated fruit-growing valleys of San Juan. Ground releases were used to disperse parasitoids in 6 fruit-producing valleys. In total, 40,000 adult parasitoids were released at places with various Medfly host plants bearing fruits and in which no insecticides were regularly applied, such as backyards and small orchards. 119 D. longicaudata adults were recovered from 6 Medfly-infested fruit species that were collected in 5 release sites (Pocito, Zonda, Santa Lucía, Caucete, and Rivadavia). The highest number of parasitoids was recovered from fig, followed by grape, rose, orange, tangerine, and persimmon. Data provided from this study open up the possibility of implementing a parasitoid mass-release program in San Juan.Fil: Suárez, Lorena. Provincia de San Juan. Ministerio de Producción y Desarrollo Economico. Secretaria de Agric., Ganaderia y Agroindustria. Programa de Control y Erradicación de Mosca de Los Frutos; ArgentinaFil: Murúa Bruna, Albérico Fernando. Provincia de San Juan. Ministerio de Producción y Desarrollo Economico. Secretaria de Agric., Ganaderia y Agroindustria. Programa de Control y Erradicación de Mosca de Los Frutos; ArgentinaFil: Lara, Natalia. Provincia de San Juan. Ministerio de Producción y Desarrollo Economico. Secretaria de Agric., Ganaderia y Agroindustria. Programa de Control y Erradicación de Mosca de Los Frutos; ArgentinaFil: Escobar, Jorge. Provincia de San Juan. Ministerio de Producción y Desarrollo Economico. Secretaria de Agric., Ganaderia y Agroindustria. Programa de Control y Erradicación de Mosca de Los Frutos; ArgentinaFil: Tareti, Gustavo. Provincia de San Juan. Ministerio de Producción y Desarrollo Economico. Secretaria de Agric., Ganaderia y Agroindustria. Programa de Control y Erradicación de Mosca de Los Frutos; ArgentinaFil: Rubio, Jose Luis. Provincia de San Juan. Ministerio de Producción y Desarrollo Economico. Secretaria de Agric., Ganaderia y Agroindustria. Programa de Control y Erradicación de Mosca de Los Frutos; ArgentinaFil: Van Nieuwenhove, Guido Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucuman. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiologicos; ArgentinaFil: Bezdjian, Laura Patricia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucuman. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiologicos; ArgentinaFil: Schliserman, Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucuman. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiologicos; ArgentinaFil: Ovruski Alderete, Sergio Marcelo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucuman. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiologicos; Argentin

Attraction of Apple Maggot Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) to Synthetic Fruit Volatile Compounds and Food Attractants in Michigan Apple Orchards

The apple maggot, Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh), is a serious pest of apples in the United States, requiring reliable monitoring and control programs. Various synthetic apple volatile lures with and without protein hydrolysate, ammonium acetate, or ammonium carbonate were evaluated from 1998-2000 for their attractiveness to R. pomonella adults with red sticky-sphere (9 cm diam.) monitoring traps. A blend consisting of butyl butanoate (10%), propyl hexano- ate (4%), butyl hexanoate (37%), hexyl butanoate (44%), and pentyl hexanoate (5%) was the most effective lure tested for attracting both sexes of R. pomonella adults during all three field seasons. The addition of protein hydrolysate or ammonium compounds to spheres baited with a commercial attractant (BioLure) consisting of plastic dispensers containing butyl hexanoate, did not significantly increase apple maggot fly captures. Spheres baited with the blend or with butyl hexanoate in polyethylene vials and spheres baited with BioLure dispensers were highly selective in capturing R. pomonella flies relative to non-target insects. However, spheres baited with ammonium compounds with or without synthetic apple lures were non-selective with respect to apple maggot captures. Protein hydrolysate alone was ineffective for monitoring R. pomonella flies. We provide further evidence that baiting red-sticky sphere traps with the volatile blend without ammonium bait additives creates a highly effective and selective device for capturing apple maggot flies. The blend could be an important addition to current monitoring and control programs for apple maggot flies in Michigan orchards and other important apple growing regions

Experimental hybridization and reproductive isolation between two sympatric species of tephritid fruit flies in the Anastrepha fraterculus species group

Among tephritid fruit flies, hybridzation has been found to produce local adaptationand speciation, and in the case of pest species, induce behavioral and ecological alterations that can adversely impact efficient pest management. The fraterculus species group within Anastrepha (Diptera: Tephritidae), is a rapidly radiating aggregate, which includes cryptic species complexes, numerous sister species, and several pest species. Molecular studies have highlighted the possibility of introgression between A. fraterculus and A. obliqua. Reproductive isolation has been studied among morphotypes of the A. fraterculus species complex as a tool for species delimitation. Here we examined the existence and strength ofprezygotic and postzygotic isolation between sympatric populations of two closely related species within the highly derived fraterculus group (A. fraterculus and A. obliqua), coexisting in nature. Although adults of both species showed a strong tendency for assortative mating, a small proportion of hybrid pairings in both directions were observed. We also observed asymetric postzygotic isolation, with one hybrid cross displaying a strong reduction in fecundity and F1 egg fertility. Survival was greater for the progeny of homotypic and hybrid crosses in the maternal host. There was a marked female biased sex ratio distortion for both F1 hybrid adults. Hybridization between A. fraterculus and A. obliqua in nature may be difficult but possible; these two species display stronger reproductive isolation than all pairsof species previously examined in the A. fraterculus species complex. Asymetric postzygotic isolation is suggestive of Wolbachia mediated cytoplasmic incompatibilities that may be exploited in area-wide pest management.Fil: Rull Gabayet, Juan Antonio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucuman. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiologicos; ArgentinaFil: Tadeo, Eduardo. Instituto de Ecología A. C. . Red de Manejo Biorracional de Plagas y Vectores; MéxicoFil: Lasa, Rodrigo. Instituto de Ecología A. C. . Red de Manejo Biorracional de Plagas y Vectores; MéxicoFil: Rodríguez, Christian L.. Instituto de Ecología A. C. . Red de Manejo Biorracional de Plagas y Vectores; MéxicoFil: Altuzar Molina, Alma. Instituto de Ecología A. C. . Red de Manejo Biorracional de Plagas y Vectores; MéxicoFil: Aluja, Martín. Instituto de Ecología A. C. . Red de Manejo Biorracional de Plagas y Vectores; Méxic