Influence of <em>Anastrepha fraterculus</em> (Diptera: Tephritidae) Larval Instars on the Production of <em>Diachasmimorpha longicaudata</em> (Hymneoptera: Braconidae) Progeny and their Sex Ratio
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the optimal larval age for exposing Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann) to Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead) females to maximize parasitoid female offspring production under laboratory conditions in order to develop an efficient mass-rearing process for this biocontrol agent. Five age ranges of A. fraterculus larvae were assessed: 1-3 d-old (first instar), 4-6 d-old (second instar), 7-8 d-old (early third instar), 9-10 d-old (middle third instar), and 11-12 d-old (late third instar). The number of D. longicaudata initiating ovipositor probing on a device with third instars of A. fraterculus was significantly higher than with others containing younger instars. Although female biased parasitoid offspring was recorded in all treatments using third instars as hosts, significantly more D. longicaudata females emerged from A. fraterculus pupae originated from middle and late third instars. However, the percentage of unemerged host puparia also increased significantly in both those host instar groups. Superparasitism, recorded as the number of first instar parasitoid head capsules per host, increased significantly as A. fraterculus larvae matured from second instars to late third instars. Nevertheless, the maximum average yield of parasitoid progeny was achieved using 9-12 d-old A. fraterculus larvae as hosts.Se determinó la edad óptima de la larva de Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann) para ser expuesta a Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead) con el objetivo de maximizar la producción de descendientes hembras en la cría del parasitoide y así lograr un eficiente proceso de cría masiva del agente. Fueron evaluados 5 rangos de edad de larvas de A. fraterculus : 1-3 días (1er estadío), 4-6 días (2do estadío), 7-8 días (3er estadío temprano), 9-10 días (3er estadío medio) y 11-12 días (3er estadío tardío). En las pruebas con el ovipositor se observó un número significativamente mayor de hembras de D. longicaudata en la unidad de oviposición con larvas de A. fraterculus del 3 er estadío que en dispositivos con larvas de estadíos más tempranos. En todos los tratamientos que usaron larvas huéspedes del 3er estadío, la descendencia del parasitoide tuvo predominancia de hembras. Sin embargo, el máximo porcentaje de puparios no eclosionados, también se registró en tratamientos que utilizaron larvas huéspedes del 3er estadío medio y tardío. El superparasitismo, registrado como el número de cápsulas cefálicas de larvas del 1er estadío del parasitoide por pupa del huésped, manifestó un significativo incremento en larvas de A. fraterculus del 3er estadío tardío. No obstante, cuando se utilizaron larvas de 9-12 días de edad como huéspedes se alcanzó la máxima producción de progenie del parasitoide.
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