We documented fruit fly-host associations and infestation rates over 5 yr in the state of Bahia, Brazil, by systematically collecting native and introduced fruits in backyard and commercial orchards, experimental stations, and patches of native vegetation. Fruit were collected in multiple sites in the southern and southernmost regions of Bahia. A total of 942.22 kg from 27 fruit species in 15 plant families was collected throughout this study. Of these, 15 plant species from six families were infested by Anastrepha species. A total of 11,614 fruit flies was reared from the fruit (5,178 females and 6,436 males). No specimens of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) were recovered. Eleven Anastrepha species were recovered from the collected fruit: Anastrepha antunesi Lima (0.04%), Anastrepha distincta Greene (0.1%), Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann) (53.5%), Anastrepha leptozona Hendel (4.5%), Anastrepha manihoti Lima (0.1%), Anastrepha montei Lima (1.0%), Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart) (33.0%), Anastrepha pickeli Lima (2.0%), Anastrepha serpentina (Wiedemann) (1.0%), Anastrepha sororcula Zucchi (3.0%), and Anastrepha zenildae Zucchi (1.8%). We recovered 1,265 parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from Anastrepha pupae. Three species of braconids were found to parasitize larvae of nine Anastrepha species. The most common parasitoid species recovered was Doryctobracon areolatus (Szépligeti) (81.7%), followed by Utetes anastrephae (Viereck) (12.2%) and Asobara anastrephae (Muesebeck) (6.1%). We report A. fraterculus infesting Malay apple Syzygium malaccense (L.) Merr. & L. M. Perry and A. fraterculus, A. sororcula, and A. zenildae infesting araza Eugenia stipitata McVaugh for the first time in Brazil.

No abstract

-The objective of this study was to evaluate the diversity of fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) species that use myrtaceous fruit, particularly guava, as hosts in several localities in the state of Bahia and to determine the infestation rates, pupal viability rates, and fruit fly-parasitoid associations.

The cacao bud mite, Aceria reyesi (Nuzzaci), has been identified as the causal agent of the ‘engurruñadera del cacao’, characterized by the apparent accumulation of stipules on the buds, followed by die-back, with premature fall of leaves, shortening of internodes and proliferation of lateral branches, or witches’-broom, resulting in production losses or even in the death of plants. Our objective was to evaluate four response variables (numbers of leaves/plant, stipules/bud, internodes/branch and branches/plant) that could be indicative of a possible reversion of the ‘engurruñadera’ after the application of the acaricide abamectin and/or pruning. Two experiments were carried out between November 2020 and April 2021 in a greenhouse at UESC, with cacao seedlings of the genetic group ‘Forastero’ (cacao ‘Common’) infested with A. reyesi and showing typical symptoms of the ‘engurruñadera’. The first experiment was conducted with 4 treatments and 8 replicates, with the application of (1) Abamectin + pruning, (2) Abamectin without pruning, (3) Water + pruning and (4) Water without pruning (control). Sprays were carried out fortnightly with an Abamex® solution (18 g/L of abamectin, in a concentration of 2 mL/L of distilled water + neutral detergent). Pruning was performed only once, at the beginning of the experiment, by removing the apical 10 centimeters of all plant branches. Response variables were evaluated one day before the application of the treatments (Day 0), and afterward (~Days 75 and 150 after the first evaluation, respectively). The second experiment was conducted with 2 treatments and 12 replicates, with the application of (1) Abamectin (treated) and (2) Water (control). Pulverizations and evaluations were carried out as in the first experiment. The number of leaves/plant and internodes/branch were the only response variables that indicated some reversion of the ‘engurruñadera’ in both experiments among treated and control groups, although only 150 days after the application of abamectin and/or pruning. The number of branches/plant showed a significant increase from 75 days after the treatments with pruning, and no difference was found among treated and control groups in terms of numbers of stipules/bud in both experiments. We concluded that the numbers of leaves/plant and internodes/branch seem to be adequate monitoring tools to indicate the reversion of the ‘engurruñadera’ after the application of abamectin and/or pruning. Pruning was effective in the reversion of symptoms of the ‘engurruñadera’ on cacao seedlings as well as the abamectin application of a 2 mL dose of Abamex® per liter of water fortnightly.