title: Temporal Diversity and Abundance Patterns of Parasitoids of Fruit-Infesting Tephritidae (Diptera) in the Argentinean Yungas: Implications for Biological Control.
abstract: A 4-yr study was done to analyze seasonal patterns underlying host plant-fruit fly-parasitoid interactions in a secondary forest in the Argentinean Yunga and its importance for the implementation of conservation and augmentative biological control. Larval-pupal hymenopteran parasitoids associated with all host plants and fruit fly species were identified and the seasonal occurrence of fruit, infestation levels, parasitism percentage, and relative parasitoid abundance were determined. Three fruit fly species in two genera were found in association with surveyed plants, two of which (Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) and Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann)) are of major economic importance. Infestation levels were strongly influenced by environmental factors and peak fruit availability. Five fruit fly parasitoid species were recovered from fly pupae, four braconid species, and one figitid. Time windows for fruit fly population growth were pinpointed. Based on results, the present analysis proposes an effective fruit fly biological control strategy tailored for the northwestern Argentinean citrus-producing area.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Catamarca (CITCA - CONICET-UNCA), Prado 366, K4700AAP, San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, Catamarca, Argentina (schliserman73@yahoo.com.ar) schliserman73@yahoo.com.ar.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schliserman
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ecología A.C., Red de Manejo Biorracional de Plagas y Vectores, Apartado Postal 63, 91000 Xalapa, Veracruz, México (martin.aluja@inecol.edu.mx).
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aluja
authors.affiliation: PROIMI Biotecnología-CONICET, LIEMEN-División Control Biológico de Plagas, Av. Belgrano y Pje. Caseros, T4001MVB San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina (pomonella@gmail.com; ovruskisergio@yahoo.com.ar).
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rull
authors.affiliation: PROIMI Biotecnología-CONICET, LIEMEN-División Control Biológico de Plagas, Av. Belgrano y Pje. Caseros, T4001MVB San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina (pomonella@gmail.com; ovruskisergio@yahoo.com.ar).
authors.forename: Sergio M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ovruski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001118:Argentina; D033622:Ceratitis capitata / Q000254:growth & development / Q000469:parasitology; D006927:Hymenoptera / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development / Q000469:parasitology / Q000502:physiology; D010572:Pest Control, Biological; D011679:Pupa / Q000254:growth & development / Q000469:parasitology / Q000502:physiology; D012621:Seasons; D013045:Species Specificity; D033621:Tephritidae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000469:parasitology*
keywords: Braconidae; Figitidae; area-wide fruit fly control; augmentative and conservation biological control