Effect of fruit and host fly species on the associative learning by Fopius arisanus

Abstract

Parasitoids, released in augmentative biological control programmes, which display a rapid host-location capacity, have a higher likelihood of successfully controlling target pest species. By learning to associate sensory cues to a suitable oviposition site, might parasitoids used as biological control agents, locate hosts more rapidly, and perhaps increase the efficacity of e.g. Tephritidae fruit fly management. We studied associative learning of Fopius arisanus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and tested its range of learning in natural and conditional hosts and host fruits, i.e. Bactrocera dorsalis, Zeugodacus cucurbitae, Ceratitis capitata and Ceratitis cosyra (Diptera: Tephritidae) and on fruits (papaya, tomato, banana). Naïve female F. arisanus were compared with experienced wasps, which had been offered infested and non-infested fruit, and been allowed to oviposit. Preferences for olfactory cues from infested fruits were thereafter assessed in a two-choice olfactometer. Naïve and trained parasitoids preference differed in general and non-responders to infested fruits were higher among naïve parasitoids. The trained wasps preferred the fruit infested in the training more than the control fruit, for all combination, except when C. cosyra infested the fruits, hence avoidance behavioural response was observed towards the odour of the infested fruit. Fopius arisanus was capable of behaviourally respond to the learned information, e.g. associative odour learning was achieved, yet limited depending on interaction level, fruit fly and fruit combination. To create F. arisanus preference of an associated odour, it might hence be needed to ensure oviposition in perceived suitable host and host fruit, for the parasitoid learning to become favourable in a biological control setup.

A 30‐year systematic review reveals success in tephritid fruit fly biological control research

“…These types of studies are increasing in number as the success of a biological technique is strongly associated with the ability of released parasitoids to disperse, survive, and find hosts (Paranhos et al, 2007). Thus, parasitoids that exhibit a capacity for rapid host‐location have a higher probability of successfully controlling target pests (Monsia et al, 2019). However, host fruit size appears to be a significant limitation associated with this type of natural enemy, as the host larvae can move deep within the fruit, out of reach of the female parasitoid’s ovipositor (Montoya et al, 2016).…”

Opiine parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and biological control of fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Australia: Past, present and future

“…Fopius arisanus (Sonan) is a solitary egg-larval-pupal fruit fly endoparasitoid native to Asia (Gonçalves, Manoukis, & Nava, 2017;Groth, Loeck, Nornberg, Bernardi, & Nava, 2017), but now widely distributed around the globe (Lane et al, 2018). The biology and biological control usage of F. arisanus has been reviewed previously (Rousse et al, 2005), with literature since then covered in recent publications (Gnanvossou et al, 2016;Merkel, Migani, Ekesi, & Hoffmeister, 2016;Vargas et al, 2016;Cai et al, 2020;Nanga Nanga et al, 2019;Lane et al, 2018;Geib et al, 2017;Müller et al, 2019;Cai et al, 2017;Monsia, Megnigbeto, Gnanvossou, & Karlsson, 2019). Because the biology of F. arisanus is reported elsewhere, the following literature is not an exhaustive coverage as it was for the previous sections dealing with D. kraussii and D. tryoni.…”

“…From Hawaii, F. arisanus has been widely distributed around the Pacific, causing declines in excess of 75% in the emergence of target taxa (Vargas et al, 2012b;Leblanc, Vargas, & Putoa, 2013). Outside of the Pacific, F. arisanus releases have been carried out in Africa, Indian Ocean nations and South America (Zenil et al, 2004;Gnanvossou et al, 2016;Merkel et al, 2016;Mohamed, Ramadan, & Ekesi, 2016;Monsia et al, 2019).…”

Chemotaxis and parasitism of the Neotropical fruit fly parasitoidGanaspis pelleranoican be altered by pre‐imaginal and imaginal conditioning to fruit volatiles

“…Fruit fly parasitoids rely on chemical cues from plants in their host-seeking process, especially those induced after herbivory (Khan et al, 2008;Hoedjes et al, 2011). This search behavior has been observed in parasitoid wasps (Masry et al, 2018;Monsia et al, 2019;Pires et al, 2021), including Ganaspis pelleranoi (Brèthes) (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) (Guimarães & Zucchi, 2004). This Neotropical species is an important biocontrol agent of tephritids (Diptera), such as the South American fruit fly, Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann), and the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Guimarães et al, 1999).…”