Survey on Drosophila suzukii and Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Drosophilidae, Tephritidae) and Associated Eucoilinae Species (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) in Northwestern Argentina. First Record of Dicerataspis grenadensis and Leptopilina boulardi as Parasitoids of D. suzukii

Neotrop Entomol. 2024 Apr;53(2):200-215. doi: 10.1007/s13744-023-01112-7. Epub 2024 Jan 16.

Abstract

The Southeast Asian-native Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae), also known as "spotted-wing Drosophila," is one of the most globally invasive agricultural species. Although D. suzukii is a pest spread throughout all the Argentinian fruit-growing regions, few information has been published on its impact on local fruit production. Parasitoid species associated with D. suzukii in Argentina belong to Pteromalidae (Chalcidoidea), Diapriidae (Diaprioidea), both attacking host pupae, and Figitidae (Cynipoidea), which attack host larvae. Nine Eucoilinae (Figitidae) species, belonging to Dicerataspis, Dieucoila, Euxestophaga, Ganaspis, Hexacola, and Leptopilina genera, have been associated with D. suzukii in Argentina. Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), commonly known as "medfly," is native to Africa and has a worldwide distribution, covering many tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions. In Argentina, C. capitata has been associated with several native hymenopterous parasitoids belonging to Braconidae (Ichneumonioidea), Eulophidae (Chalcidoidea), Pteromalidae, Diapriidae, and Figitidae families. Only two eucoline species, Ganaspis pelleranoi (Brèthes) and Leptopilina haywardi (Blanchard) have been related to medfly in Argentina. We report new trophic associations between the parasitoids Dicerataspis grenadensis Ashmead and Leptopilina boulardi (Barbotin, Carton and Kelner-Pillault) and D. suzukii, and between the parasitoid Odontosema albinerve Kieffer and C. capitata, after surveys conducted in Tucumán, northwestern Argentina. An annotated checklist and a taxonomic key of Eucoilinae associated with both invasive pests, in Argentina, are also provided.

Keywords: Biological invasions; Fly-parasitoid associations; Host plants; Larval parasitoids; Mediterranean fruit fly; Spotted-wing Drosophila.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Argentina
  • Ceratitis capitata*
  • Drosophila
  • Humans
  • Hymenoptera* / physiology
  • Introduced Species
  • Tephritidae*