Abstract
Doryctobracon areolatus(Szépligeti), a solitary endoparasitoid native to the Neotropics, attacks eggs and early instar larvae ofAnastrephafruit flies, and can enter diapause under tropical and subtropical conditions. We aimed to test if biological attributes, such as size, flight ability, starvation resistance, longevity and fecundity of diapausing individuals differ from those of non-diapausing ones. Parasitoids were obtained from a laboratory colony reared onAnastrepha ludens(Loew) larvae. Parasitized host puparia were sorted in two cohorts according to their diapause condition. Developmental time from egg to adult ranged from 18 to 31 days in non-diapausing parasitoids, and 70 to 278 days for diapausing individuals. Pupal weight and adult measurements were higher in non-diapausing than in diapausing parasitoids. There were no differences in adult longevity, starvation resistance, and emergence between diapausing and non-diapausing wasps. Flight ability and fecundity rates were greater in the non-diapausing than in the diapause cohort. The proportion of female offspring was greater in the non-diapausing cohort (42.5%), whereas in the diapausing cohort the male offspring proportion was greater (62.4%). Both cohorts produced diapause offspring, but the non-diapausing cohort produced more (26.6%) than the diapausing one (9.1%). Maternal age had a significant effect on the proportion of diapause offspring: in 26 to 34 days old non-diapausing females, 78.9% of their offspring entered into diapause. These results confirmed that diapause affects the biological attributes ofD. areolatus. The observed differences contribute to better understand the diapause influence on the colonization and rearing process of this species and its use as biocontrol agent.
Highlights
Tephritid fruit fly parasitoids are grouped in five families of Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Diapriidae, Eulophidae, Figitidae, and Ichneumonidae (Ovruski et al 2000)
Parasitized host puparia and adult parasitoids came from the D. areolatus colony that is maintained in the Biological Control laboratory of the Moscafrut Program (SADERSENASICA), located in Metapa, Chiapas, Mexico, which at the time of bioassays had 23 generations under laboratory rearing conditions
Diapausing and non-diapausing D. areolatus individuals differed in pupal and adult size, flight ability, fecundity, and reproductive dynamics, whereas there were no differences in their percent of adult emergence, starvation resistance and adult survival when provided with food
Summary
Tephritid fruit fly parasitoids are grouped in five families of Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Diapriidae, Eulophidae, Figitidae, and Ichneumonidae (Ovruski et al 2000) This represents a wide group that exploits different immature stages of their hosts (eggs, larvae, and pupae) with important variations in their biology and behaviour (Godfray 1994). Diapause is defined as a type of dormancy in which metabolic and developmental arrest occur in the life cycles of many invertebrates (Mansingh 1971) This allows them to survive in periods of environmental adversity, exploit fluctuating seasonal resources, and synchronize their reproduction (Koštál and Denlinger 2011). It has been reported that D. areolatus is the species that diapauses with greater frequency and with the longest duration: up to 11 months in fruits of Spondias mombin L. (Anacardiaceae) in Mexico (Aluja et al 1998), and 414 days in fruits of Eugenia uniflora L. (Myrtaceae) in Brazil (Carvalho 2005)
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