Fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) assemblage in a feijoa orchard in Santa Catarina State, Brazil

Abstract

Fruit flies cause economically important damage on several cultivated and native South American fruit trees. Hence, it is important to understand the population dynamics of these insects. This study aimed to characterize the assemblage and population fluctuations of fruit flies in a feijoa (Acca sellowiana) orchard in Lages, Santa Catarina State, Brazil from September 2009 to May 2012. Captures of flies were made with McPhail traps baited with hydrolyzed protein. Evaluations and bait change were performed weekly. A total of 2,197 flies were captured (957 males and 1,240 females). Analysis of abundance, constancy, dominancy and frequency showed that Anastrepha fraterculus was the main species captured; it was considered to be very frequent, constant and highly dominant throughout the study period. The orchard presented low equitability, low diversity, and high dominance of A. fraterculus during the three fruit seasons evaluated. No correlation was found between climatic factors and population levels of A. fraterculus.