Host-searching capacity of the fruit fly parasitoid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead) as a measure for evaluating quality in mass rearing

ABSTRACT

The host-searching capacity of the parasitoid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was evaluated in field cages with Anastrepha ludens (Loew)-infested mangoes. The main objective was to determine whether the data collected from these evaluations could be analysed to obtain useful quality indicators of mass reared adult parasitoids. Landing and oviposition activities of female parasitoids on infested fruit increased at higher densities of larvae and with more extended time of infested fruit exposition. Physical characteristics of the fruits did not influence the search. Females positively arrested on infested fruit, and their response was significantly related to the number of larvae per fruit. At a density of 1–40 larvae per fruit, 5–8 parasitoid females were found landing on the fruit, with 1–2 females ovipositing every 15 minutes for 2 hours, resulting in percentages of parasitism between 30 and 56%. The mass-reared parasitoids showed a competitive response similar to that determined for wild parasitoids. The evaluation procedure is practical and inexpensive, allowing it to be applied for quality assessment in mass rearing of D. longicaudata.

KEYWORDS:

• Quality control
• search ability
• product quality
• quality control standards
• host density

Acknowledgements

We appreciate the technical help from the Biological Control Department staff in the Moscafrut Programme. The data analysis provided by Javier Valle was important for drawing conclusions. Marco Tulio Tejada provided us with important comments to improve the manuscript. Similarly, the comments provided by the reviewers significantly increased the quality of the manuscript. A special thanks to Ken Bloem who made important comments and an English review of the final version.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).