Host Preference by <I>Diachasmimorpha Longicaudata</I> (Hymneoptera: Braconidae) Reared on Larvae of <I> Anastrepha Fraterculus</I> and <I>Ceratitis Capitata</I> (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Authors

  • Sergio M Ovruski
  • Laura P. Bezdjian
  • Guido A. Van Nieuwenhove
  • Patricia Albornoz-Medina
  • Pablo Schliserman

Abstract

The preferences of Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead) for larvae of Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann) and Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) were evaluated under laboratory conditions in no-choice and dual-choice tests, based on percent parasitism, proportion of emerged parasitoids, proportion of female offspring, and number of parasitoid female visits to and ovipositor probes on the artificial oviposition device as different measures of host preference. In no-choice tests D. longicaudata females did not demonstrate a significant preference between C. capitata and A. fraterculus larvae. Nevertheless, D. longicaudata females showed a strong preference for A. fraterculus larvae in dual-choice test. Although female biased parasitoid progeny resulted in all assays, significantly more D. longicaudata female offspring emerged from A. fraterculus pupae than from C. capitata pupae. Thus, this study confirmed that both C. capitata and A. fraterculus are appropriate host for rearing D. longicaudata, but also provided evidence that female parasitoid progeny yield can be substantially improved by using A. fraterculus larvae as the host instead of C. capitata larvae.

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Published

2011-06-01

Issue

Vol. 94, No. 2 (June 2011)

Section

Research Papers

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