Incidencia de moscas de la fruta de importancia económica sobre Citrus aurantium (Rutaceae) en Tucumán, Argentina

Abstract

Se analizó la relación entre Ceratitis capitata, Anastrepha fraterculus y su planta hospedante, Citrus aurantium (naranjo agrio), mediante la recolección durante un año de frutos silvestres en un bosque secundario de la provincia de Tucumán, Argentina. Además, se registró el parasitismo natural. Se recolectaron 2820 frutos silvestres de naranja agria (322 kg), de los cuales el 34 por ciento estuvo infestado. De estos frutos se obtuvieron 3216 puparios (3150 de C. capitata y 66 de A. fraterculus), de los cuales emergieron 2039 adultos. C. capitata en C. aurantium variaron entre 0.8 y 83.6 pupas/kg, mientras que los niveles de infestación de A. fraterculus variaron de 0.1 a 7.3 pupas/kg. En las pupas de C. capitata se observó solamente una especie de parasitoide, Aganaspis pelleranoi, y ninguna de las A. fraterculus. Los porcentajes de parasitismo fueron bajos, variando entre 1 y 6 por ciento A. pelleranoi podría ser un agente eficaz de biocontrol de moscas de la fruta en cultivos cítricos, debido principalmente a su comportamiento de forrajeo y su ámbito de hospedantes. This paper analyzes the relationship between Ceratitis capitata and Anastrepha fraterculus and the host plant Citrus aurantium. A survey of infested fruits was carried out in a secondary forest in the province of Tucumán, Argentina, during one year. The degree of fruit fly larvae parasitism is also recorded. A total of 2820 wild fruits (322 Kg) of C. aurantium were sampled, of which 34 per cent were infested. Of these fruits, 3216 pupae were obtained (3150 pupae of C. capitata and 66 of A. fraterculus), of which 2.039 fruit fly adults emerged. C. capitata was the predominant fruit fly species, representing 99 (2.015 adults) of all the fruit fly adults obtained in the laboratory. Although only 24 A. fraterculus adults were found, we provide the first documented natural infestation data for C. aurantium, which has been recognized as a potential host of this fruit fly in Tucumán. C. capitata infestation rates in C. aurantium were highly variable throughout the year, ranging from 0.1 to 7.3 pupae/Kg. Only Aganaspis pelleranoi, a larval-pupal parasitoid, was obtained from C. capitata pupae, while from A. fraterculus pupae no parasitoids were obtained. Parasitism levels were low, ranging from to 1 to 6 per cent. However, this parasitoids species could be an effective fruit fly biocontrol agent in Citrus orchards due to its foraging behavior and host range.