Frugivorous Flies of the Drosophilidae, Lonchaeidae and Tephritidae and Their Parasitoids in Brazil

Abstract

Objective: Brazil is one of the leaders in the production of fruit in temperate climates but is still plagued by pests, particularly frugivorous flies. The damage caused by these insects results in reduced yields and difficulties in exporting due to quarantine barriers imposed by importing countries. The objective of this study was to investigate the main species of frugivorous flies of the Drosophilidae, Lonchaeidae and Tephritidae and their parasitoids in Brazil. Methods: The collected fruits (orange, star fruit, guava, mango, and pitanga) were deposited on a layer of fine sand, in plastic containers, cylindrical, transparent, and open at the top. Each week, the pupae were separated from the substrate by flotation. They were removed and placed in glass flasks with fine sand at room temperature until the emergence of dipterans and/or their parasitoids. Results: In Goiás, Doryctobracon areolatus (Szepligeti, 1911) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was the most frequent with 65.0%, and in Minas Gerais, Trichopria anastrepha Costa Lima, 1940 (Hymenoptera: Diapriidae) accounted for 44.4%. In Goiás, Doryctobracon areolatus presented the highest percentage of parasitism with 4.3%, and in Minas Gerais the percentage of parasitism in Trichopria anastrepha was 5.7%. In both states, Zaprionus indianus Gupta, 1970 (Diptera: Drosophilidae) the largest species with the highest percentage of parasitism was Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae (Rondani, 1875) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) with 96.7%. In Psidium guajava, L. (Myrtaceae) the percentage of natural parasitism was 16.7%, being 0.9% by Aganapis pelleranoi (Brèthes, 1924) 8.0%. Conclusion: In Brazil, frugivorous flies are important pests of fruits and vegetables. Knowledge of the population fluctuation of these species in each biome is an important requirement for the adoption of pest control.