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Abstract
In the laboratory, the effect of host fruit species Citrus paradisi, C. aurantium, Prunus persica, and Psidium guajava on A. fraterculus parasitism by Diachasmimorpha longicaudata was studied. The number of ovipositor-probing events and the probing-time were documented to evaluate the role of fruit chemistry, and epicarp and mesocarp thickness, respectively. The relationship between the parasitization rate and fruit size in particular plant species was analyzed by applying a simple regression. Results showed that guava and peach yielded significantly more parasitoids than both Citrus spp. Probably, the parasitization rate of D. longicaudata on A. fraterculus would be influenced in part by chemical and physical factors from fruit species.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank both Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de la República Argentina (CONICET) (grant PIP no. 5129/05) and Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica, Secretaria de Ciencia y Técnica de la República Argentina (grant PICTO no. 0812909/04) for the financial support. Special thanks to Carolina Colin for assistance during laboratory work, Jorge Cancino-Diaz, Pablo Montoya (Mexican MOSCAMED Program, Metapa de Domínguez, Chiapas, México), Pablo Liedo (ECOSUR, Tapachula, Chiapas, México), and Martín Aluja (INECOL, Veracruz, Xalapa, México) for allowing us to introduce D. longicaudata specimens to Argentina from México, and Teresa Vera and Eduardo Willink (EEAIOC, Tucumán, Argentina) for providing us with the first A. fraterculus reared specimens.