Influence of natal host on parasitism by Spalangia cameroni (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae)

Francisco Beitia,Erik Valencia,Josep D Asis,Jose Tormos,Bernat Peris,Luis De Pedro

doi:10.14411/eje.2016.012

Francisco Beitia, Erik Valencia + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.14411/eje.2016.012

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Abstract

Spalangia cameroni Perkins (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) is sold commercially as a biocontrol agent of filth flies, including the house fly, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae). For this reason, S. cameroni is mass-reared for inundative releases to control harmful flies. However, the mass-rearing protocols include very little information on the influence of natal host on subsequent host selection by parasitoids with more than one potential host as in the genus Spalangia. Here, we report on the use of S. cameroni against M. domestica. The S. cameroni were reared using Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann (Diptera: Tephritidae) (natal host) pupae for several generations. Freeze-killed fly pupae were used in assays to determine the fecundity, number of adult progeny and sex-ratio of this parasitoid. Realized fecundity and number of adult progeny were greater when provided with house fly pupae than Mediterranean fruit fly pupae. Thus S. cameroni parasitized more house fly pupae than C. capitata pupae, even though the parasitoid was reared on Mediterranean fruit fly for many generations. These results indicate that S. cameroni reared on C. capitata can be successfully used in inundative releases against both fruit flies (agriculture) and house flies (livestock farming).

Highlights

At the Valencian Institute of Agrarian Research (Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias, IVIA, Valencia, Spain) Spalangia cameroni Perkins (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) has been reared for use in biological control against the Mediterranean fruit fly since 2003
The sex ratio of the adults that emerged from Mediterranean fruit fly and house fly pupae did not differ significantly (χ2 = 1.02, df 1, P = 0.306)
Since 2006, when S. cameroni was first identified as a parasitoid of C. capitata (Falcó et al, 2006), the Valencian Institute for Agricultural Research (IVIA) in Spain started rearing S. cameroni on C. capitata for controlling the Mediterranean fruit fly

Summary

Introduction

At the Valencian Institute of Agrarian Research (Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias, IVIA, Valencia, Spain) Spalangia cameroni Perkins (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) has been reared for use in biological control against the Mediterranean fruit fly since 2003. During this time the Medfly Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) was used as the host (Tormos et al, 2010, 2014). The host used for rearing parasitoids is important as according to Hopkins’ Host-Selection Principle it may influence their subsequent choice of host and percentage parasitism (Davis & Stamps, 2004). We determined whether S. cameroni reared on C. capitata for many generations would parasitize M. domestica

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