No abstract

Fruit bagging is an important strategy to protect fruit against fruit fly (Tephritidae) infestation and pesticide contamination. In laboratory, we compared the forced infestation of guavas by Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) and Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann) when wrapping them with non- woven fabric (NWF) bags. The combined repellence and protection effects of white, green, blue and red NWF bags were tested in comparison with un-bagged guavas. Bagged fruit with the NWF tissue stuck to the pericarp were separately exposed to both fruit fly species for 48 hours, with a ratio of 10 females per fruit inside of laboratory cages. In C. capitata, the number of pupae per fruit was significantly higher in the green NWF bags, and the infestation in the other colour bags were similar to the control group (non-bagged). In A. fraterculus, guavas with red NWF bags had significantly higher infestation (205.42 pupae per fruit) than fruit that received the other colour bags White and blue bags were less attractive for oviposition from both fruit fly species. The adherence of the NWF bags to the fruit surface causes egg-laying of fruit flies.

Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann) and Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) are the most commonly found fruit fly species in fruit crops in Brazil. Both polyphagous species show similar host ranges, but specific knowledge regarding the ovipositional preference of either species is scarce. The present study aims to evaluate, in the laboratory, ovipositional behaviours in seven fruit host submitted to infestation by A. fraterculus and C. capitata. Except for C. capitata in Tahiti acid lime, the number of punctures containing eggs exceeded the number of punctures without eggs. The highest values for eggs per puncture were obtained in Fuyu persimmon, for which averages of 4.06 and 50.09 eggs per puncture were deposited by A. fraterculus and C. capitata, respectively. For A. fraterculus, the infestation ranking, based on the number of eggs per puncture from high to low, was Fuyu persimmon > papaya > Tahiti acid lime > carambola > coffee > guava > sweet orange. For C. capitata, the infestation ranking was Fuyu persimmon > carambola > papaya > guava > sweet orange > coffee > Tahiti acid lime. All punctures made to carambola and papaya contained eggs. Sweet orange exhibited the maximum number of punctures of A. fraterculus without egg deposition. The first day of medfly oviposition in Fuyu persimmon resulted in approximately three-fold more eggs per puncture than the second, third, and fourth days.

Fruits of two cultivars of guava, Psidium guajava L., (‘Tailandesa’ and ‘Kumagai’) and garlic passion fruit, Passiflora tenuifila Killip were collected to evaluate the infestation and co-infestation of frugivorous flies and the associated parasitoids and new hosts. Five species of Tephritoidea were recovered in Tailandesa guavas, three species in Kumagai guavas and three species in garlic passion fruit. This is the first report of a frugivorous fly infesting P. tenuifila. Individualization of the fruit samples was used to determine the co-infestation between Anastrepha spp., Ceratitis capitata and Neosilba spp. in each fruit. There was a fly/parasitoid association for Doryctobracon areolatus and Lopheucoila anastrephae with Anastrepha fraterculus in guavas. Infestation indices and emergence rate demonstrated that Tailandesa and Kumagai guavas are hosts capable of withstanding an infestation index ≥ 50 pupae/fruit and have an emergence rate ≥ 75%. The ability of some hosts to maintain and sustain the population of frugivorous flies at high levels may interfere with pest management.