title: A qPCR-based method for detecting parasitism of Fopius arisanus (Sonan) in oriental fruit flies, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Parasitism detection and species identification are necessary in fruit fly biological control. Currently, release of mass-reared Fopius arisanus is practiced worldwide, as it is effective in controlling Bactrocera dorsalis and Ceratitis capitata. To detect and assess parasitism in parasitoid mass-rearing colonies and parasitism levels in field populations across all life stages of hosts, the development of a rapid, specific and sensitive method is important.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A species-specific probe was designed for F. arisanus, as well as a universal tephritid probe. Utilizing rapid DNA extraction techniques coupled with quantitative-PCR, a simple and fast assay has been developed to detect parasitism of F. arisanus that is sensitive enough to detect the parasitoid across all developmental stages, including a single egg per host egg or 0.25 ng of parasitoid DNA in 40 ng of host DNA. The qPCR methods also detect a higher parasitism rate when compared with rearing-based methods where parasitism rate is based on wasp emergence and where unemerged wasps are not included.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This method is a rapid, sensitive and specific technique to determine the parasitism rate of F. arisanus across all life stages of B. dorsalis, which will be useful to predict parasitoid output from mass rearing and evaluate the outcome of pest suppression after mass release in the field.
authors: Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, College of Forestry, Fuzhou, China.
authors: Guang Hong
authors: GH
authors: Liang
authors: USDA-ARS, DKI-PBARC, Hilo, USA.
authors: Eric B
authors: EB
authors: Jang
authors: USDA-ARS, DKI-PBARC, Hilo, USA.
authors: Wade P
authors: WP
authors: Heller
authors: USDA-ARS, DKI-PBARC, Hilo, USA.
authors: Chiou Ling
authors: CL
authors: Chang
authors: Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, College of Plant Protection, Fuzhou, China.
authors: Jia Hua
authors: JH
authors: Chen
authors: Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, College of Forestry, Fuzhou, China.
authors: Fei Ping
authors: FP
authors: Zhang
authors: USDA-ARS, DKI-PBARC, Hilo, USA.
authors: Scott M
authors: SM
authors: Geib
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D010572:Pest Control, Biological; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D033621:Tephritidae / Q000235:genetics / Q000469:parasitology*; D014863:Wasps / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development
keywords: Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel); Fopius arisanus (Sonan); parasitism rate; qPCR