Elton Lucio Araujo

Diversity of Anastrepha spp. (Diptera: Tephritidae) and Associated Braconid Parasitoids from Native and Exotic Hosts in Southeastern Bahia, Brazil

ABSTRACT We documented fruit fly-host associations and infestation rates over 5 yr in the state of Bahia, Brazil, by systematically collecting native and introduced fruits in backyard and commercial orchards, experimental stations, and patches of native vegetation. Fruit were collected in multiple sites in the southern and southernmost regions of Bahia. A total of 942.22 kg from 27 fruit species in 15 plant families was collected throughout this study. Of these, 15 plant species from six families were infested by Anastrepha species. A total of 11,614 fruit flies was reared from the fruit (5,178 females and 6,436 males). No specimens of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) were recovered. Eleven Anastrepha species were recovered from the collected fruit: Anastrepha antunesi Lima (0.04%), Anastrepha distincta Greene (0.1%), Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann) (53.5%), Anastrepha leptozona Hendel (4.5%), Anastrepha manihoti Lima (0.1%), Anastrepha montei Lima (1.0%), Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart) (33.0%), Anastrepha pickeli Lima (2.0%), Anastrepha serpentina (Wiedemann) (1.0%), Anastrepha sororcula Zucchi (3.0%), and Anastrepha zenildae Zucchi (1.8%). We recovered 1,265 parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from Anastrepha pupae. Three species of braconids were found to parasitize larvae of nine Anastrepha species. The most common parasitoid species recovered was Doryctobracon areolatus (Szépligeti) (81.7%), followed by Utetes anastrephae (Viereck) (12.2%) and Asobara anastrephae (Muesebeck) (6.1%). We report A. fraterculus infesting Malay apple Syzygium malaccense (L.) Merr. & L. M. Perry and A. fraterculus, A. sororcula, and A. zenildae infesting araza Eugenia stipitata McVaugh for the first time in Brazil.

Faunistic analysis of Anastrepha spp. (Diptera: Tephritidae) on a guava orchard under organic management in the municipality of Una, Bahia, Brazil

We carried out a study to characterize fruit fly populations on an organic guava orchard (Psidium guajava cv. Paluma) in the municipality of Una, southern region of the state of Bahia, Brazil, using faunistic analysis of the adult fruit fly specimens captured in McPhail traps from January 2004 through March 2007. A total of 22,673 specimens of Anastrepha (15,306 females and 7,367 males) were captured. Thirteen species of Anastrepha were recorded. A. fraterculus and A. obliqua were the more frequent and dominant species, accounting for 90.1% of all females captured in the traps. A. fraterculus was the predominant species (more frequent, constant and dominant). The high value of the Simpson index (0.62) and the low values of Shannon-Wiener (0.83) and equitability (0.49) indices indicated the dominance and high frequency of A. fraterculus and A. obliqua on the guava orchard despite the presence of other fruit species as potential hosts of fruit flies.

Biological aspects of the leafminer Liriomyza sativae (Diptera: Agromyzidae) on melon (Cucumis melo L.)

The leafminer Liriomyza sativae Blanchard is an important insect pest on melon crops in Brazil. However, the information about its biology on melon (Cucumis melo L.) is scarce. Therefore, the aim of this research was to know some biological aspects of this pest, reared on melon plants, under laboratory conditions at 25°C. Our results showed that the biological cycle of L. sativae lasts 15.9±0.04 days (egg-adult), namely: egg (2.7±0.01 days), larva (4.1±0.03 days) and pupa (9.1±0.03 days). The sex ratio is 0.51 and the females live (19.3±1.09 days) longer than males (16.2±0.96 days). These results can help in the integrated management of L. sativae on melon crops and improve the systems for rearing this leafminer in laboratory.

Toxicity of insecticides used in the Brazilian melon crop to the honey bee Apis mellifera under laboratory conditions

This study aimed at evaluating the toxicity of insecticides used in melon crop (Cucumis melo L.) on adults of Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) under laboratory conditions. Three ways of exposure were used: direct spraying, feeding with insecticide contaminated diet, and contact with sprayed leaves. Bees were exposed to the insecticides abamectin, acetamiprid, cartap chloride, chlorfenapyr, cyromazin, deltamethrin, thiamethoxam, flufenoxuron, and pyriproxyfen at the highest dosages recommended by the manufacturers for the melon crop in Brazil. Results indicated that, regardless of how the bees were exposed to insecticides, thiamethoxam, abamectin, and chlorfenapyr were extremely toxic to adults of A. mellifera. Acetamiprid, deltamethrin, and cartap chloride were most toxic when directly sprayed on the bees. Cyromazin and pyriproxyfen caused low mortality rates to A. mellifera, whereas flufenoxuron caused moderate mortality when fed to adult bees.

Moscas-das-frutas (Diptera: Tephritidae) e seus parasitoides (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) associados às plantas hospedeiras no sul da Bahia

The association among Anastrepha species, braconid parasitoids and host fruits in southern Bahia is recorded. Doryctobracon areolatus (Szépligeti) was associated with A. serpentina (Wied.) in Pouteria caimito, A. bahiensis Lima in Helicostylis tomentosa, A. sororcula Zucchi in Eugenia uniflora, and A. obliqua (Macquart) in Spondias purpurea. Anatrepha obliqua was unique in fruits of Averrhoa carambola, but associated with D. areolatus, Asobara anastrephae (Muesebeck) and Utetes anastrephae (Viereck). In Achras sapota, A. serpentina was associated with A. anastrephae and D. areolatus, while in Psidium guajava, A. fraterculus (Wied.) and A. sororcula were associated with D. areolatus and U. anastrephae.

Medidas do acúleo na caracterização de cinco espécies de Anastrepha do grupo fraterculus (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Species identification of the genus Anastrepha Schiner is based mostly on the shape of the aculeus apex. In some species groups, such as fraterculus, species are separated by subtle differences in the aculeus apex, namely Anastrepha fraterculus (Wied.), A. obliqua (Macquart), A. sororcula Zucchi, A. zenildae Zucchi and A. turpiniae Stone. In order to help the identification, the aculei of these five species from 25 localities of 17 Brazilian states were measured. The aculeus and apex lengths of these species vary along geographical distribution and even from specimens reared from same host. For this reason and due to superimposition, these Anastrepha species cannot be separated based on the two measures exclusively.

New records of Neosilba species (Diptera: Lonchaeidae) in Bahia State, Brazil

Four species of Neosilba are recorded in the State of Bahia: Neosilba pendula (Bezzi), Neosilba certa (Walker), Neosilba parva (Hennig) and Neosilba glaberrima (Wiedemann).

New records of Neosilba species (Diptera : lonchaeidae) in Bahia State, Brazil

Four species of Neosilba are recorded in the State of Bahia: Neosilba pendula (Bezzi), Neosilba certa (Walker), Neosilba parva (Hennig) and Neosilba glaberrima (Wiedemann).

Parasitóides (Braconidae) associados à Anastrepha (Tephritidae) em frutos hospedeiros do litoral sul da Bahia

Among the organisms acting in the natural biological control of tephritids, members of the family Braconidae are the most active form of natural parasite, and in Neotropical regions, members of Opiinae are the main control agents of Anastrepha. The objective of this work was to discover the percentage of parasitism and the species of braconid associated with fruit trees growing in cities on the southern coast of Bahia. During the period of August, 2005 to March, 2008, hosts fruits of fruit flies from several plant species were collected and from the fruits the following species of Anastrepha were obtained: A. fraterculus, A. obliqua, A. bahiensis, A. serpentina, A. sororcula and A. zenildae. Of the total of 838 specimens of braconids, 21.36% were of the species Utetes anastrephae (Viereck), obtained from yellow mombin, carambola, guava, mango and pitanga; 4.42% were of the species Asobara anastrephae (Muesebeck) obtained from the fruits of the yellow mombin, carambola and guava, and only one example of Opius bellus Gahan (0.12%) that came from a guava sample. The species Doryctobracon areolatus (Szepligeti) (74.10%) was predominant and emerged from puparia from all the host fruits collected, probably due to the greater efficiency of this species in locating tephritid larvae. The mean percentage of parasitism by Anastrepha spp. was 4.45%.

Green lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) associated with Melon Crop in Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil

A survey of the green lacewings associated with the melon agroecosystem was carried out with the aim of including lacewings into the integrated management program of melon pests. Three species of this predator were found: Ceraeochrysa cubana (Hagen), Chrysoperla externa (Hagen) and Chrysoperla genanigra Freitas. A key to these species is presented.