Northwestern Argentina Research Articles

Functional Characterization and Toxicity of Pectin from Red Chilto Fruit Waste (Peels).

Food and agricultural wastes constitute a rich source of functional ingredients for the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. In this context, by-products from the red variety of Solanum betaceum fruits (chilto) from Northwestern Argentina are suitable sources for pectin extraction. In this study, pectin from the peels of red chilto fruits was extracted and characterized. The recovery yield of red chilto peel pectin was about 24%, and it was co-extracted with 40.0 mg phenolic compounds, 6.5 mg anthocyanins, and 4.7 g proteins per 100 g of pectin. The pectin obtained from red chilto showed proper technological functionality displaying water and oil holding capacities of 4.2 and 2.0%, respectively, an emulsifying capacity of 83%, emulsion stability of 87.5%, foaming capacity of 21.1%, and foaming stability of 79.1%. The pectin displayed antioxidant activity with the ability to scavenge ABTS radical, superoxide anion, and H2O2. The polysaccharide exhibited in vitro hypoglycemic potential and inhibited the α-amylase enzyme, retarded glucose diffusion, and improved the cellular uptake of glucose in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae model. The extract was non-toxic on acute toxicity tests. Red chilto pectin showed potential as a new and safe functional ingredient for the design of foods, health products, and cosmetics.

New locality records for unusual species of sigmodontine rodents (Rodentia: Cricetidae) from Northwestern Argentina

The Sigmodontinae is a highly diverse subfamily of rodents that represents almost 30% of the mammalian species present in northwestern Argentina. However, the distribution of several species is delimited on the basis of scarce records. We add new localities for four poorly known species of rodents (Abrothrix andina Philippi 1858, Abrothrix jelskii Thomas 1824, Neotomys ebriosus Thomas 1894, Auliscomys sublimis Thomas 1900) in the High Andes of Jujuy and Salta provinces. We duplicate the number of known localities for A. jelskii in Salta, including the lowest known elevation record in Argentina and added the second known locality for Jujuy province. Furthermore, we add four new localities for A. sublimis, including the westernmost locality in Argentina, and reported for the first time this species at a departmental political division in NWA. Finally, we report the first departmental record for both A. andina and N. ebriosus in Valle Grande.

Modeling potential risk areas of Orthohantavirus transmission in Northwestern Argentina using an ecological niche approach

BackgroundHantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a rodent-borne zoonosis in the Americas, with up to 50% mortality rates. In Argentina, the Northwestern endemic area presents half of the annually notified HPS cases in the country, transmitted by at least three rodent species recognized as reservoirs of Orthohantavirus. The potential distribution of reservoir species based on ecological niche models (ENM) can be a useful tool to establish risk areas for zoonotic diseases. Our main aim was to generate an Orthohantavirus risk transmission map based on ENM of the reservoir species in northwest Argentina (NWA), to compare this map with the distribution of HPS cases; and to explore the possible effect of climatic and environmental variables on the spatial variation of the infection risk.MethodsUsing the reservoir geographic occurrence data, climatic/environmental variables, and the maximum entropy method, we created models of potential geographic distribution for each reservoir in NWA. We explored the overlap of the HPS cases with the reservoir-based risk map and a deforestation map. Then, we calculated the human population at risk using a census radius layer and a comparison of the environmental variables’ latitudinal variation with the distribution of HPS risk.ResultsWe obtained a single best model for each reservoir. The temperature, rainfall, and vegetation cover contributed the most to the models. In total, 945 HPS cases were recorded, of which 97,85% were in the highest risk areas. We estimated that 18% of the NWA population was at risk and 78% of the cases occurred less than 10 km from deforestation. The highest niche overlap was between Calomys fecundus and Oligoryzomys chacoensis.ConclusionsThis study identifies potential risk areas for HPS transmission based on climatic and environmental factors that determine the distribution of the reservoirs and Orthohantavirus transmission in NWA. This can be used by public health authorities as a tool to generate preventive and control measures for HPS in NWA.

Ancient mitochondrial genome diversity in South America: Contributions from Quebrada del Toro, Northwestern Argentina.

The objective of this study was to enhance our understanding of the population history in South America, specifically Northwestern Argentina, by analyzing complete ancient mitogenomes of individuals from the Ojo de Agua archeological site (970 BP) in Quebrada del Toro (Salta, Argentina). We analyzed teeth from four individuals from the site Ojo de Agua (970 ± 60 BP), located in Quebrada del Toro (Andean region of Northwestern Argentina). DNA extracts were converted to double-stranded DNA libraries and indexed using unique dual-indexing primer combinations. DNA libraries were then enriched for the complete mitochondrial genome, pooled at equimolar concentrations, and sequenced on an Illumina® MiSeq™ platform. Reads from high quality libraries were trimmed, merged, and then mapped to the revised Cambridge Reference Sequence. The aDNA damage patterns were assessed and contamination estimated. Finally, variants were called, filtered, and the consensus mitogenome was constructed and used for haplogroup assignment. We also compiled available mitogenome sequences from ancient and present-day populations from the Southcentral Andes and other surrounding regions in Argentina. Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetic reconstructions were obtained using the generated dataset. We successfully obtained the complete mitogenome sequence from one individual with an average depth coverage of 102X. We discovered a novel haplotype that was assigned to haplogroup D1. Phylogenetic reconstructions suggests that this haplotype falls within the sister branches of the D1j lineage, forming a well-supported clade. The estimate TMRCA of this clade that includes D1j and its sister branches ranged between 12,535 and 18,669 ya. The sequence analyzed in this study represents the first ancient mitogenome from within the valley region in Northwestern Argentina. We found that a representative of a lineage highly associated with D1j was already present approximately 1000 BP in the region. Our results agree with the proposed origin of D1j in other regions north of Patagonia and independent of the Pacific coast fast migratory route, contrary to what was originally hypothesized. This study highlights the lack of information regarding pre-Hispanic genetic diversity and contributes to the knowledge about the peopling process in South America.

Threat patterns for endemic plants of Argentina reveal disparity of vulnerability and protection among spatially associated species groups

Given the accelerated rate of environmental degradation and climate change, there is an urgent need to protect biodiversity, especially endemic species with restricted ranges. However, which areas should be prioritized for protection remains a critical issue. A common approach to prioritizing conservation is to rank areas using species-level metrics. Nevertheless, biodiversity and threat patterns can become complex when the amounts of data increase. Here, we analyzed the distribution of 1570 Argentinean endemic plants using clustering of spatially associated species to disentangle distribution and threat patterns. We explored vulnerability levels in each cluster using mean values of species-level metrics of vulnerability, relating values obtained to the regions and environments they occupy. For each cluster we also identified its hotspots and evaluated the effectiveness of the current protected area network for their conservation. Results yielded nine main clusters, mostly differentiated by their geographic distribution and by the ecoregions they occupy. Metrics revealed disparity in vulnerability levels among clusters, with the highest values recorded for clusters related to the Central Puna in northwestern Argentina, to the Espinal, Humid Pampas, and Low Monte in the east of the country, and to the Patagonian steppe in the south. Likewise, coverage by protected areas was low for most hotspots, with the lowest values recorded for the Patagonian cluster. In particular, for hotspot of this cluster, located along the Patagonian steppe in southern Chubut and northeastern Santa Cruz provinces, analyses showed that it has both high levels of vulnerability and low levels of protection, giving it the highest conservation priority of the entire pool analyzed. Our findings identify gaps in the current protected area network and highlight key areas in need of conservation policies and strategies, both in situ and ex situ, to protect the endemic plants of Argentina.

Estilos alfareros del Período Tardío en el Noroeste argentino

This paper contributes to the characterization of late-period ceramic styles in northwestern Argentina by studying a ceramic assemblage recovered from the Loma l´Ántigo site, a residential settlement in the Cajón Valley (Catamarca, Argentina) between the late 13th and late 15th centuries. The research describes and analyzes visual aesthetics —morphology, surface treatments, and iconography— and uses low magnifications to characterize the ceramic material. Then, it compares the results with knowledge from neighboring regions to propose the existence of shared aesthetic and technological patterns that span several geographical areas and traverse the traditional style categories for the area and period.

Ten years of Cry1Ac Bt soybean use in Argentina: Historical shifts in the community of target and non-target pest insects

Long-term changes in the insect communities in genetically modified (GM) crops expressing target-specific pesticidal proteins can occur and matter for optimized integrated pest management. Using monitoring data of commercial soybean fields from 2012 to 2022, we documented shifts in the abundance of target and non-target insects of the GM Cry1Ac Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) soybean in two provinces of northwestern Argentina. Before adoption of Bt soybean, lepidopterans prevailed in the crop-associated insect-pest community. They were 65% more abundant than stink bugs and weevils, and the highest population levels (a mean of 169 individuals/plot) were recorded during the vegetative and early reproductive stages. After introducing Bt soybean, the abundance of target lepidopterans (i.e., erebids, heliothines, and plusiines) was the lowest in the 2017–2018 crop season. In the 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 seasons, Rachiplusia nu larvae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Plusiinae) were recorded in Bt soybean fields. The numbers of non-target lepidopterans (Spodoptera spp.) increased year by year, and they were the prevailing lepidopteran species on Bt soybean in 2020–2021 and the R1-R5 (reproductive) soybean growth stages. Weevil abundance was higher on Bt soybean than non-Bt soybean. Stink bugs were more frequent in Tucumán than Catamarca, and their abundances were higher during R1-R5 than during vegetative and late-reproductive stages. The temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation conditioned the abundance of some of the pest complexes. Efforts to monitor and manage secondary or Bt-resistant populations of insect pests are necessary and should be continued and complemented with studies of pest-susceptibility shifts to inform sound locally adapted integrated pest management programs.

Characterization of Polylepis tarapacana Life Forms in the Highest-Elevation Altiplano in South America: Influence of the Topography, Climate and Human Uses.

In the upper vegetation limit of the Andes, trees change to shrub forms or other life forms, such as low scrubs. The diversity of life forms decreases with elevation; tree life forms generally decrease, and communities of shrubs and herbs increase in the Andean highlands. Most of treeline populations in the northwestern Argentina Altiplano are monospecific stands of Polylepis tarapacana, a cold-tolerant evergreen species that is able to withstand harsh climatic conditions under different life forms. There are no studies for P. tarapacana that analyze life forms across environmental and human impact gradients relating them with environmental factors. This study aims to determine the influence of topographic, climatic, geographic and proxies to human uses on the occurrence of life forms in P. tarapacana trees. We worked with 70 plots, and a new proposal of tree life form classification was presented for P. tarapacana (arborescent, dwarf trees, shrubs and brousse tigrée). We describe the forest biometry of each life form and evaluate the frequency of these life forms in relation to the environmental factors and human uses. The results show a consistency in the changes in the different life forms across the studied environmental gradients, where the main changes were related to elevation, slope and temperature.

Assessment of technological and functional features of Lactiplantibacillus and Fructobacillus strains isolated from Opuntia ficus-indica fruits

Opuntia ficus-indica fruits are outstanding for their sensory attributes and multiple health benefits. However, this fruit is highly perishable, and substantial efforts have been carried out to extend its shelf-life. Lactic fermentation of fruits by-products using autochthonous bacteria arises as relevant technology for preserving vegetables and their by-products. In this study, autochthonous Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Fructobacillus fructosus strains previously selected from Opuntia ficus-indica fruits of Northwestern Argentina were characterized according to their technological and functional properties to select the most suitable for the production of fermented cactus pear products. L. plantarum strains showed better acidifying activity, decreasing the pH of the juice by about 2.9 units in 24 h. All the strains studied produced lactic and propionic acids, and L.plantarum S-811 and S-TF2 strains and F. fructosus S-TF7 strain were the better lactic acid producers, with values around 9.5 g/l. These strains also displayed antimicrobial activities against undesirable pathogen bacteria, showed a safety profile typical of lactic acid bacteria, and the juice fermented with these strains preserves the phenolic compounds content and antioxidant activity of unfermented juice. The obtained results showed the potential of L.plantarum S-811 and S-TF2, and F. fructosus S-22 for their use as starters for the fermentation of cactus pear by-products, standing out L.plantarum S-811 for its potentiality to elaborate a fermented cactus pear beverage. The cactus pear juice fermented by L.plantarum S-811 showed physicochemical and microbiological stability that favors juice shelf-life. Besides, fermentation conferred distinctive sensory features to the cactus pear juice without influencing consumers' overall acceptability.

Evolution of the Earth's magnetic field strength in northwestern Argentina during the last two millennia: Towards the improvement of south American geomagnetic paleosecular variation curve

A magnetic mineralogy and absolute geomagnetic intensity study was carried out on prehispanic ceramic fragments from the Southern Andes region (Northwest Argentina). Magnetic susceptibility vs. temperature curves and alternating field demagnetization treatments were applied to select the most suitable samples for the absolute archaeointensity experiments. A total of 66 samples were analyzed following the Thellier modified by Coe protocol, including cooling rate corrections and potential mitigation of the magnetic anisotropy effect. Thirty-eight samples (out of 66) belonging to nine pottery fragments yielded reliable absolute intensity determinations The new data, accompanied by associated radiocarbon ages, were integrated into previously published data in order to construct an improved paleosecular variation curve for South America. The highest quality data covers only the last 1000 years. The general variation patterns show good agreement with global geomagnetic prediction models. This updated regional curve may be used as the reference curve for archaeomagnetic dating in the major part of South America (Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Bolivia), even though caution should be paid for the areas and time periods poorly covered by data.

Clinical and Demographic Features of Paracoccidioidomycosis in Argentina: A Multicenter Study Analysis of 466 Cases.

Information on paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) in Argentina is fragmented and has historically been based on estimates, supported only by a series of a few reported cases. Considering the lack of global information, a national multicentric study in order to carry out a more comprehensive analysis was warranted. We present a data analysis including demographic and clinical aspects of a historical series of 466 cases recorded over 10 years (2012-2021). Patients were aged from 1 to 89 years. The general male: female (M:F) ratio was 9.5:1 with significant variation according to the age group. Interestingly, the age range 21-30 shows an M:F ratio of 2:1. Most of the cases (86%) were registered in northeast Argentina (NEA), showing hyperendemic areas in Chaco province with more than 2 cases per 10,000 inhabitants. The chronic clinical form occurred in 85.6% of cases and the acute/subacute form occurred in 14.4% of cases, but most of these juvenile type cases occurred in northwestern Argentina (NWA). In NEA, the incidence of the chronic form was 90.6%; in NWA, the acute/subacute form exceeded 37%. Diagnosis by microscopy showed 96% positivity but antibody detection displays 17% of false negatives. Tuberculosis was the most frequent comorbidity, but a diverse spectrum of bacterial, fungal, viral, parasitic, and other non-infectious comorbidities was recorded. This national multicenter registry was launched in order to better understand the current status of PCM in Argentina and shows the two endemic zones with a highly diverse epidemiology.

A snapshot of mid Eocene landscapes in the southern Central Andes: Spore-pollen records from the Casa Grande Formation (Jujuy, Argentina).

The southern Central Andes-or Puna-now contains specialized plant communities adapted to life in extreme environments. During the middle Eocene (~40 Ma), the Cordillera at these latitudes was barely uplifted and global climates were much warmer than today. No fossil plant remains have been discovered so far from this age in the Puna region to attest to past scenarios. Yet, we assume that the vegetation cover must have been very different from what it looks today. To test this hypothesis, we study a spore-pollen record from the mid Eocene Casa Grande Formation (Jujuy, northwestern Argentina). Although sampling is preliminary, we found ~70 morphotypes of spores, pollen grains and other palynomorphs, many of which were produced by taxa with tropical or subtropical modern distributions (e.g., Arecaceae, Ulmaceae Phyllostylon, Malvaceae Bombacoideae). Our reconstructed scenario implies the existence of a vegetated pond surrounded by trees, vines, and palms. We also report the northernmost records of a few unequivocal Gondwanan taxa (e.g., Nothofagus, Microcachrys), about 5,000 km north from their Patagonian-Antarctic hotspot. With few exceptions, the discovered taxa-both Neotropical and Gondwanan-became extinct from the region following the severe effects of the Andean uplift and the climate deterioration during the Neogene. We found no evidence for enhanced aridity nor cool conditions in the southern Central Andes at mid Eocene times. Instead, the overall assemblage represents a frost-free and humid to seasonally-dry ecosystem that prevailed near a lacustrine environment, in agreement with previous paleoenvironmental studies. Our reconstruction adds a further biotic component to the previously reported record of mammals.

A Reassessment of the Mandibular Anatomy of Dinodontosaurus brevirostris (Synapsida, Dicynodontia) from the Ladinian–Early Carnian Chañares Formation (Northwestern Argentina), and Its Taxonomic and Phylogenetic Significance

Actualmente se reconocen dos linajes de Kannemeyeriiformes (Synapsida, Dicynodontia) en la Formación Chañares del Ladiniano–Carniano (Cuenca de Ischigualasto-Villa Unión, Argentina): stahleckériidos stahleckeriinos, basados en postcráneos, y una sola especie de no-stahleckeriinos, Dinodontosaurus brevirostris, conocida principalmente por material craneano. Los datos disponibles sobre la mandíbula de Dinodontosaurus brevirostris se basan principalmente en el espécimen PULR-V 03, holotipo de D. “platygnathus”. Aquí presentamos un estudio osteológico completo y comparativo de la mandíbula de D. brevirostris, basado en PULR-V 03 y los nuevos especímenes CRILAR-Pv 94 y PULR-V 144, y revisamos sus relaciones filogenéticas con la inclusión de los datos mandibulares. Nuestros resultados son similares a análisis previos, con un Dinodontosaurus monofilético como grupo hermano del clado Angonisaurus + Stahleckeriidae. Dinodontosaurus brevirostris es reinterpretado con una contribución del angular a la sínfisis mandibular, lámina replegada del angular redondeada e hipertrofiada, gap angular amplio, y proceso retroarticular bien desarrollado y curvado anteriormente. Se rechazan hipótesis previas de afinidades con stahleckeriinos en base a un “chin” sinfisario marcadamente convexo, gap angular amplio, cresta media sinfisial y la superficie articular moderadamente inclinada, pero la forma y el tamaño de la lámina replegada son consistentes con la posición de Dinodontosaurus como un pariente cercano de Stahleckeriidae. Los rasgos potencialmente relevantes para una distinción con D. tener y otros Kannemeyeriiformes (cresta medial alta en el dentario, depresión anterolateral en el angular, contribución del angular a la sínfisis, estrechez extrema de la cresta sinfisaria, surco medio del dentario ancho y profundo) necesitan más investigación en otros grupos de dicinodontes para poder interpretar robustamente su historia evolutiva

Post-logging changes in a neotropical dry forest composition and structure modify the ecosystem functioning

Native forests are considered to be the main centers of terrestrial diversity in the world and they provide important ecosystem services for humanity. Unsustainable logging is currently-one of the greatest threats to the biodiversity of these forests. In northwestern Argentina, about 90 % of the piedmont forest in the Southern Yungas has been transformed and the remaining 10% is being intensively logged. The aim of this study was to identify post-logging changes in the structural and compositional attributes affecting the functionality of a dry forest in Argentina. In the control forest, we recorded 1559 individuals from 45 tree species and 22 families, and at post-logging forest, 1376 trees from 47 species and 25 families. Logging affected the forest structure by decreasing timber tree density and basal area. In addition, at the post-logging forest, we observed an increase in the density of non-timber trees and in the horizontal understory cover, which were associated with the normalized difference vegetation index, thus, affecting the forest functioning. The threatened timber species Amburana cearensis and Jacaranda mimosifolia were not recorded in the logged forest. In the control, four timber species had the highest importance value indexes (IVI): Phyllostilon rhamnoides, Anadenanthera colubrina, Calicophylum multiflorum, and Myracrodruon urundeuva. Additionally, in the logged forest there was a change in the species order regarding the IVI, with A. colubrina, P. rhamnoides, Cordia americana, and a non-valuable timber species (Ocotea puberula) being the most important tree species. In order to preserve the economic and ecological value of the piedmont forest, the density of non-timber tree species and the horizontal understory cover must be maintained at values close to the control forest. These guidelines can be implemented by applying low-impact logging techniques.

Where did the forest go? Post-deforestation land use dynamics in the Dry Chaco region in Northwestern Argentina

Land transformation is a major component of global change, directly altering habitat composition and spatial configuration, biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning. Over the last decades, the Dry Chaco region in Northwestern Argentina has become one of the regions most heavily transformed worldwide due to the expansion of its agricultural frontier. Many questions remain unanswered about how this process of change occurred. In this study, a parcel-scale database was used to assess the conversion of natural landscapes to different agroecosystems. The magnitude and direction of land use transitions during the last 20 years (2001–2019) were analyzed. Ranching is the main proximate cause of deforestation, accounting for more than 63% of the area cleared annually, though the land use expansion pattern has varied in space and time. Trajectories of land use transitions revealed a spatial arrangement where croplands have displaced ranching to drier areas. The analysis of the intensity of these transitions has shown that the trajectory of post-deforestation land use dynamics has followed a permanent systematic spatio-temporal pattern of change: (1) Dry Forest to Pastures; (2) Pastures to Single Crops; and (3) Single Cropping and Double Cropping systems, where processes of expansion, replacement, and intensification have been identified. Information on transition patterns has allowed us to develop a deeper understanding of land transformation processes, essential in the design of effective land use management strategies.

“Ways of Doing” Pottery in the Cajón Valley (Argentine Northwest) during the First Centuries AD

This article presents an example of ceramic circulation and exchange networks in the southern Andean region during the first centuries AD, derived from the study of the production, circulation, and consumption of the pottery assemblages found in the villages of Cardonal and Bordo Marcial, located in the Cajón Valley in Catamarca, Argentina. Our analysis of the technical, morphological, and design aspects of the ceramics suggested six morphological groups using three representation techniques and 16 paste recipes; we also found that locally manufactured vessels were used together with ceramics of nonlocal origin in similar domestic contexts. In addition, the foreign ceramic materials suggest that there were networks of interaction between Cardonal and Bordo Marcial and other regions, such as the southern Puna, the Hualfín Valley, the Rosario-Lerma Basin, and the San Francisco Valley in northwestern Argentina.

A New Overlooked Species of Cyrtopodium (Cymbidieae, Orchidaceae) from the Southern Andean Yungas and Chaco Serrano Ecoregions of Northern Argentina and Southwestern Bolivia

Cyrtopodium valebellae, a new species from northwestern Argentina and southwestern Bolivia, is described, illustrated, and compared with morphologically similar taxa. The species is similar to C. virescens in general morphology and flower colour but differs in floral morphology details, particularly in lip morphology and geographic distribution. All known records are from the Southern Andean Yungas and Chaco Serrano ecoregions, indicating that the species is endemic to these regions. Cyrtopodium valebellae has been known since 1965 but has been misidentified so far with C. paniculatum, C. punctatum or C. virescens. The new species was first noticed through photographs available on online biodiversity platforms, highlighting its usefulness as a complementary source of data for discovering new species.

Vocal activity of the rufous nightjar (Antrostomus rufus) in subtropical Yungas Andean forests of Argentina

ABSTRACT Nightjars (Family Caprimulgidae) are insectivorous birds with crepuscular and nocturnal habits. Their coloration and cryptic behavior make this group extremely difficult to register, being more easily heard than sighted. The rufous nightjar (Antrostomus rufus) is a widely distributed species from Southern Central America to Northern Argentina, but most aspects of its life history remain unknown. By the employment of an acoustic remote unit, we evaluated the vocal activity and environmental variables of vocalizations by rufous nightjars during a complete annual cycle at one site in the Yungas Andean Forests of Northwestern Argentina. The results, based on one sampled site, indicate that the vocal activity of this species is performed during the breeding season (between September and November). During these months, this species showed a peak of vocal activity at midnight (between 00:00 and 01:00 hs) and at dawn (06:00 hs). In addition, most vocalizations were recorded during full moon nights, and temperature was negatively related to the vocal activity. We highlight the importance of using passive acoustic monitoring as a tool for understanding the life history of nocturnal neotropical birds.

Nutritional status of adults in Northwest Argentina: an observational study

Background: Northwestern Argentina (NWA) is a region with geographic, ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural characteristics that set it apart from the rest of the country. The present study aimed to analyze both the anthropometry and nutritional status of adults in this region and establish its recent secular trend.

Implications of the Niche Partitioning and Coexistence of Two Resident Parasitoids for Drosophila suzukii Management in Non-Crop Areas

Understanding the mechanisms associated with the coexistence of competing parasitoid species is critical in approaching any biological control strategy against the globally invasive pest spotted-wing drosophila (=SWD), Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura). This study assessed the coexistence of two resident pupal parasitoids, Trichopria anastrephae Lima and Pachycrepoideus vindemiae Rondani, in SWD-infested fruit, in disturbed wild vegetation areas of Tucumán, northwestern Argentina, based on niche segregation. Drosophilid puparia were collected between December/2016 and April/2017 from three different pupation microhabitats in fallen feral peach and guava. These microhabitats were "inside flesh (mesocarp)", "outside flesh", but associated with the fruit, and "soil", i.e., puparia buried close to fruit. Saprophytic drosophilid puparia (=SD) belonging to the Drosophila melanogaster group and SWD were found in all tested microhabitats. SD predominated in both inside and outside flesh, whereas SWD in soil. Both parasitoids attacked SWD puparia. However, T. anastrephae emerged mainly from SD puparia primarily in the inside flesh, whereas P. vindemiae mostly foraged SWD puparia in less competitive microhabitats, such as in the soil or outside the flesh. Divergence in host choice and spatial patterns of same-resource preferences between both parasitoids may mediate their coexistence in non-crop environments. Given this scenario, both parasitoids have potential as SWD biocontrol agents.