Submitted to: Florida Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: January 22, 2005
Publication Date: June 15, 2005
Citation: Orono, L.E., Ovruski, S.M., Norrbom, A.L., Schliserman, P., Colin, C., Martin, C.B. 2005. New native host plant records for Anastrepha fraterculus (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Argentina. Florida Entomologist. 88:228-232
Interpretive Summary: More than 100 of the 4,000+ species of fruit flies in the world are pests of commercial fruits and vegetables, including citrus, mango, apples, and many others. Most of the pests are native to tropical countries and are a major threat to U.S. agriculture if introduced. Much less is known about the foreign pests than about those native to the U.S. This publication provides new information about the host plants and parasitic wasps of the South American fruit fly, one of the most important fruit fly pests in tropical America. This information will be be useful to regulatory agencies such as APHIS-PPQ or to ARS or other agencies involved in control or suppression of pest species.
For the first time Chrysophyllum gonocarpum (Sapotaceae) and Inga marginata (Fabaceae) are reported as host plants of Anastrepha fraterculus in Argentina. Infestation rates (number of A. fraterculus pupae / kg of fruit) were 86.1 and 27.0 for C. gonocarpum and I. marginata, respectively. In total, 32 A. fraterculus, 3 Ceratitis capitata, and 1 Aganaspis pelleranoi (parasitoid) adults were recovered from C. gonocarpum, while 64 A. fraterculus, 8 Doryctobracon brasiliensis (parasitoids), and 1 A. pelleranoi were obtained from I. marginata.