Evaluating the quality of the Mexican fruit-fly, Anastrepha ludens, as host for the parasitoid Melittobia digitata


Submitted: 30 April 2013
Accepted: 10 July 2013
Published: 5 August 2013
Abstract Views: 876
PDF: 694
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Authors

  • J.M. González Department of Plant Science, California State University, Fresno, CA, United States.
  • M. Aluja Instituto de Ecología, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.
  • A. Cusumano Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali, Università di Palermo, Italy.
  • S. Colazza Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali, Università di Palermo, Italy.
  • S.B. Vinson Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College station, TX, Italy.
We investigated the presence of Melittobia digitata (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) and its associations with its natural hosts in Veracruz, Mexico. The parasitoid was confirmed to be present and found to attack prepupae of Trypoxylon and Sceliphron (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae and Sphecidae, respectively) mud daubers as well as pupae of the Mexican fruit fly Anastrepha ludens (Diptera: Tephritidae). Since A. ludens is a very important pest of citrus and mango in Mexico and Central America, we evaluated, in laboratory experiments, the quality of A. ludens as host of M. digitata comparing the development of the parasitoid in another unrelated fly species (Sarcophaga [Neobellieria] bullata) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) and in mud dauber wasps (Trypoxylon sp. and Sceliphron sp.). The Mexican fruit fly appears to be a good-quality host for M. digitata, and the results are discussed in the context of their possible interest as a natural enemy of A. ludens.

Supporting Agencies

TAMU-CONACyT collaborative Research Grant Program (Project No. 100108)

González, J., Aluja, M., Cusumano, A., Colazza, S., & Vinson, S. (2013). Evaluating the quality of the Mexican fruit-fly, Anastrepha ludens, as host for the parasitoid Melittobia digitata. Entomologia, 1(1), e5. https://doi.org/10.4081/entomologia.2013.e5

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Citations