2018/10/29 by Ricardo Adaime, Adaime, Ricardo, A. L. Lima +1
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Insect behavior and control techniques #Biological Control of Invasive Species #Plant and animal studies
paper · doi:10.15454/1.540801663026146e12
Fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) are among the main pests worldwide, causing significant economic losses. Among the natural enemies of fruit flies, parasitoids (Hymenoptera) have been prominent, especially for their effectiveness. The objective of this work is to discuss the current knowledge on fruit flies parasitoids in the Brazilian Amazon, suggesting ways to maximize the natural biological control. Eigth species of Braconidae are registered for this region, being Doryctobracon areolatus (Szépligeti) and Opius bellus Gahan the most abundant and widely distributed. Also occur three species of Figitidae, with predominance of Aganaspis pelleranoi (Brèthes). Some plant species act as parasitoid multipliers, such as Spondias mombin (Anacardiaceae), with parasitism rates of up to 50% of fruit flies puparia. Other plants act as reservoirs of parasitoids, such as Bellucia grossularioides (Melastomataceae) and Geissospermum argenteum (Apocynaceae). In B. grossularioides it is possible to obtain up to 20% of parasitism, being relevant due to its high abundance and wide distribution. In G. argenteum there is usually parasitism of less than 10%, which is compensated by the high rate of infestation by fruit flies not considered pests (more than 1,000 puparia/kg of fruit). These plant species should be conserved in their naturally occurring environments to ensure the maintenance of the parasitoid population. They can also be grown on the edges of orchards. Thus, the plants would contribute to the reduction of the populations of the fruit flies considered pest. Basic studies still need to be carried out, for example, phenology of the plant species in the places of natural occurrence, detailing the fruiting period, the number of fruits produced per plant, the consequent infestation by fruit flies and the corresponding parasitism index throughout the year. On the other hand, it is also necessary to survey parasitoids in poorly sampled localities, so that it is possible to increase the knowledge about these natural enemies.