Abiotic factors affecting Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) activity as a natural enemy of Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) under semi-natural conditions in the Mediterranean region

The larval-pupal endoparasitoid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is currently the most commonly employed biological control agent against Tephritid fruit flies in the Americas. However, this parasitoid remains largely ignored and is not used in many regions, including the Medit...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Harbi, Ahlem, Beitia, Francisco J., Chermiti, Brahim, De-Pedro, Luis, Ferrara, Fernando, Asís, Josep D., Polidori, Carlo, Tormos, José, Sabater-Munoz, Beatriz
Format: Artículo
Language:Inglés
Published: 2019
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11939/6216
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jen.12521
_version_ 1855492039540473856
author Harbi, Ahlem
Beitia, Francisco J.
Chermiti, Brahim
De-Pedro, Luis
Ferrara, Fernando
Asís, Josep D.
Polidori, Carlo
Tormos, José
Sabater-Munoz, Beatriz
author_browse Asís, Josep D.
Beitia, Francisco J.
Chermiti, Brahim
De-Pedro, Luis
Ferrara, Fernando
Harbi, Ahlem
Polidori, Carlo
Sabater-Munoz, Beatriz
Tormos, José
author_facet Harbi, Ahlem
Beitia, Francisco J.
Chermiti, Brahim
De-Pedro, Luis
Ferrara, Fernando
Asís, Josep D.
Polidori, Carlo
Tormos, José
Sabater-Munoz, Beatriz
author_sort Harbi, Ahlem
collection ReDivia
description The larval-pupal endoparasitoid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is currently the most commonly employed biological control agent against Tephritid fruit flies in the Americas. However, this parasitoid remains largely ignored and is not used in many regions, including the Mediterranean Basin. In this study, the potential of D.longicaudata as a biocontrol agent against the Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly) Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) was addressed in an area of eastern Spain (the Valencian community). The parasitic activity of parasitoids and the effects of climatic conditions were evaluated throughout a 1-year period in field-cage experiments in which parasitoids were confined with apples artificially infested with medfly larvae. The following parameters were calculated and related statistically to several environmental conditions: the parasitism rate, the induced mortality and progeny sex ratio. The results show that D.longicaudata is able to parasitize medfly larvae throughout the year under semi-natural conditions. Important fluctuations in the parasitism rate (from almost zero to 42%) and the induced mortality (from 6% to 80%) were partially influenced by climatic conditions. The parasitism rate increased with mean temperature and decreased with mean relative humidity, while the induced mortality decreased with minimum relative humidity. The optimal climatic conditions for the activity of the parasitoid were a mean temperature of 16-24 degrees C combined with a relative humidity of 45%-60%. Overall, these results suggest that reduction in the medfly population due to D.longicaudata activity is feasible and provide information about the optimal time period for parasitoid release in the field. In conclusion, D. longicaudata has a significant potential to control C.capitata in the Mediterranean region.
format Artículo
id ReDivia6216
institution Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA)
language Inglés
publishDate 2019
publishDateRange 2019
publishDateSort 2019
record_format dspace
spelling ReDivia62162025-04-25T14:46:32Z Abiotic factors affecting Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) activity as a natural enemy of Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) under semi-natural conditions in the Mediterranean region Harbi, Ahlem Beitia, Francisco J. Chermiti, Brahim De-Pedro, Luis Ferrara, Fernando Asís, Josep D. Polidori, Carlo Tormos, José Sabater-Munoz, Beatriz The larval-pupal endoparasitoid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is currently the most commonly employed biological control agent against Tephritid fruit flies in the Americas. However, this parasitoid remains largely ignored and is not used in many regions, including the Mediterranean Basin. In this study, the potential of D.longicaudata as a biocontrol agent against the Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly) Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) was addressed in an area of eastern Spain (the Valencian community). The parasitic activity of parasitoids and the effects of climatic conditions were evaluated throughout a 1-year period in field-cage experiments in which parasitoids were confined with apples artificially infested with medfly larvae. The following parameters were calculated and related statistically to several environmental conditions: the parasitism rate, the induced mortality and progeny sex ratio. The results show that D.longicaudata is able to parasitize medfly larvae throughout the year under semi-natural conditions. Important fluctuations in the parasitism rate (from almost zero to 42%) and the induced mortality (from 6% to 80%) were partially influenced by climatic conditions. The parasitism rate increased with mean temperature and decreased with mean relative humidity, while the induced mortality decreased with minimum relative humidity. The optimal climatic conditions for the activity of the parasitoid were a mean temperature of 16-24 degrees C combined with a relative humidity of 45%-60%. Overall, these results suggest that reduction in the medfly population due to D.longicaudata activity is feasible and provide information about the optimal time period for parasitoid release in the field. In conclusion, D. longicaudata has a significant potential to control C.capitata in the Mediterranean region. 2019-05-15T10:37:42Z 2019-05-15T10:37:42Z 2018 article Harbi, A.; Beitia, F.; Chermiti, B.; de Pedro, L.; Ferrara, F.; Asis, J. D. et al. (2018). Abiotic factors affecting diachasmimorpha longicaudata (hymenoptera: Braconidae) activity as a natural enemy of ceratitis capitata (diptera: Tephritidae) under semi-natural conditions in the mediterranean region. Journal of Applied Entomology, 142(8), 755-764. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11939/6216 10.1111/jen.12521 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jen.12521 en closedAccess electronico
spellingShingle Harbi, Ahlem
Beitia, Francisco J.
Chermiti, Brahim
De-Pedro, Luis
Ferrara, Fernando
Asís, Josep D.
Polidori, Carlo
Tormos, José
Sabater-Munoz, Beatriz
Abiotic factors affecting Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) activity as a natural enemy of Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) under semi-natural conditions in the Mediterranean region
title Abiotic factors affecting Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) activity as a natural enemy of Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) under semi-natural conditions in the Mediterranean region
title_full Abiotic factors affecting Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) activity as a natural enemy of Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) under semi-natural conditions in the Mediterranean region
title_fullStr Abiotic factors affecting Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) activity as a natural enemy of Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) under semi-natural conditions in the Mediterranean region
title_full_unstemmed Abiotic factors affecting Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) activity as a natural enemy of Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) under semi-natural conditions in the Mediterranean region
title_short Abiotic factors affecting Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) activity as a natural enemy of Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) under semi-natural conditions in the Mediterranean region
title_sort abiotic factors affecting diachasmimorpha longicaudata hymenoptera braconidae activity as a natural enemy of ceratitis capitata diptera tephritidae under semi natural conditions in the mediterranean region
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11939/6216
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jen.12521
work_keys_str_mv AT harbiahlem abioticfactorsaffectingdiachasmimorphalongicaudatahymenopterabraconidaeactivityasanaturalenemyofceratitiscapitatadipteratephritidaeunderseminaturalconditionsinthemediterraneanregion
AT beitiafranciscoj abioticfactorsaffectingdiachasmimorphalongicaudatahymenopterabraconidaeactivityasanaturalenemyofceratitiscapitatadipteratephritidaeunderseminaturalconditionsinthemediterraneanregion
AT chermitibrahim abioticfactorsaffectingdiachasmimorphalongicaudatahymenopterabraconidaeactivityasanaturalenemyofceratitiscapitatadipteratephritidaeunderseminaturalconditionsinthemediterraneanregion
AT depedroluis abioticfactorsaffectingdiachasmimorphalongicaudatahymenopterabraconidaeactivityasanaturalenemyofceratitiscapitatadipteratephritidaeunderseminaturalconditionsinthemediterraneanregion
AT ferrarafernando abioticfactorsaffectingdiachasmimorphalongicaudatahymenopterabraconidaeactivityasanaturalenemyofceratitiscapitatadipteratephritidaeunderseminaturalconditionsinthemediterraneanregion
AT asisjosepd abioticfactorsaffectingdiachasmimorphalongicaudatahymenopterabraconidaeactivityasanaturalenemyofceratitiscapitatadipteratephritidaeunderseminaturalconditionsinthemediterraneanregion
AT polidoricarlo abioticfactorsaffectingdiachasmimorphalongicaudatahymenopterabraconidaeactivityasanaturalenemyofceratitiscapitatadipteratephritidaeunderseminaturalconditionsinthemediterraneanregion
AT tormosjose abioticfactorsaffectingdiachasmimorphalongicaudatahymenopterabraconidaeactivityasanaturalenemyofceratitiscapitatadipteratephritidaeunderseminaturalconditionsinthemediterraneanregion
AT sabatermunozbeatriz abioticfactorsaffectingdiachasmimorphalongicaudatahymenopterabraconidaeactivityasanaturalenemyofceratitiscapitatadipteratephritidaeunderseminaturalconditionsinthemediterraneanregion