Parasitism of Anastrepha fraterculus (Wied.) (Diptera: Tephritidae) by Hymenoptera in Pelotas, southern Brazil

Abstract

In a three-year survey of Anastrephafraterculus (Wied.) parasitoids, the following species of Braconidae were recovered from wild and cultivated hosts in Pelotas, RS, Brazil: Doryctobracon areolatus (Szépligeti), Doryctobracon brasifiensis (Szépligeti), Opius bellus Galian, Utetes (Bracanastrepha) anastrephae (Viereck); Eucolilidae: Aganaspis pellaranoi (Brethes), Odontosema sp.; Pteromalidae: Pachycrepoidéus vindêmiae (Rondani). These parasitoids were recovered from fruit flies collected during spring, summer and auturrin. Vertical distribution of the incidence of braconids showed that they parasitized up to 10 ni above ground levei. Combined parasitization ranged firom one to 301%. The numbers were particulary low in cultivated crops but high in wild ones. Ali these: hymenopterous parasitoid species are indigenous in the area.