Fruit trap: A detection and collection tool for opiine parasitoids (Hym.: Braconidae) of the oriental fruit fly,Bactrocera dorsalis (Dipt.: Tephritidae)

Abstract

A fruit trap was developed for detection and collection of the opiine parasitoids of the oriental fruit fly,Bactrocera (=Dacus)dorsalis (Hendel). Gravid females ofBiosteres arisanus (Sonan), an egg-larval parasitoid, orDiachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead) andPsytallia incisi (Silvestri), both larval parasitoids, were lured to parasitize the eggs or larvae ofB. dorsalis inoculated in ripe papaya fruits,Carica papaya L. Progenies ofB. arisanus were consistently recovered from papaya fruits inoculated withB. dorsalis eggs (subsequently referred to as egg fruit traps). Except in Moloaa on Kauai (6%), higher percentage ofB. dorsalis parasitization (range=38–43%) was recorded in Hilo, island of Hawaii and Waimanalo and Poamoho, island of Oahu. Progenies ofD. longicaudata and a fewP. incisi were recovered from papaya fruits artificially infested withB. dorsalis larvae (subsequently referred to as larval fruit traps). The recovery of parasitoid progenies from larval fruit traps suspended from papaya trees did not differ significantly from larval fruit traps placed on the ground. In both methods of trap placement, percent parasitization ofB. dorsalis byD. longicaudata (predominant species) ranged from 58–60%. On the other hand, significantly moreB. arisanus thanD. longicaudata andP. incisi adults (larval parasitoids) were recovered from fully ripened to highly deteriorated papaya fruits collected from papaya trees or ground (fallen fruits).