<i>Trichopria anastrephae</i>: A Promising Neotropical-Native Parasitoid for <i>Drosophila suzukii</i> Control

<i>Drosophila suzukii</i> (Matsumura) is an invasive pest mainly affecting berry and stone fruit crops worldwide. In Argentina, it inhabits fruit-growing regions. An eco-friendly management strategy involves biological control by using resident natural enemies, such as the Neotropical-na...

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Main Authors: María Josefina Buonocore-Biancheri, Lorena del Carmen Suárez, Segundo Ricardo Núñez-Campero, Marcos Darío Ponssa, Flávio Roberto Mello Garcia, Daniel Santiago Kirschbaum, Sergio Marcelo Ovruski
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-03-01
Series:Agronomy
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/14/3/520
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Summary:<i>Drosophila suzukii</i> (Matsumura) is an invasive pest mainly affecting berry and stone fruit crops worldwide. In Argentina, it inhabits fruit-growing regions. An eco-friendly management strategy involves biological control by using resident natural enemies, such as the Neotropical-native pupal parasitoid <i>Trichopria anastrephae</i> Lima (<i>Ta</i>). The study compared the host-killing capacity and the offspring reproductive success of two <i>Ta</i> lineages on the puparia of both <i>D. suzukii</i> (<i>Ds</i>) and <i>D. melanogaster</i> (<i>Dm</i>) in no-choice and choice tests under laboratory conditions. The host preference and host-switching behaviors were also assessed. One parasitoid lineage was reared on <i>Ds</i> (<i>Ta<sub>Ds</sub></i>), and the second on <i>Dm</i> (<i>Ta<sub>Dm</sub></i>). In no-choice tests, both <i>Ta</i> lineages performed similarly on both hosts regarding the percentage of killed hosts and parasitoid offspring survival. The host-killing ability of <i>Ta<sub>Dm</sub></i> was only significantly lower when <i>Ds</i> was offered as a host, relative to <i>Dm</i>. In choice tests, <i>Ta</i> attacked mainly <i>Ds</i> at a 4–9 times <i>Ds</i> to <i>Dm</i> ratio, but at a 1.5–2 times <i>Ds</i> to <i>Dm</i> ratio, the host-killing ability was similar between both drosophilids. At an equal host ratio or higher <i>Dm</i> ratios, <i>Ta</i> preferred the native host. However, it was determined that <i>Ta</i> has the potential to parasitize the recently-introduced pest.
ISSN:2073-4395