Population Dynamics and Infestation Rate of Fruit Flies in Stone Fruits in São Paulo State, Brazil
Adalton Raga *
Laboratory of Economic Entomology, Instituto Biológico, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
Laís Ívina Silva de Paula
Laboratory of Economic Entomology, Instituto Biológico, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
Miguel Francisco de Souza-Filho
Laboratory of Economic Entomology, Instituto Biológico, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
Jairo Lopes de Castro
Pólo Regional, APTA, P.O.Box 62, 18300-970, Capão Bonito, SP, Brazil.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Fruit fly species (Diptera: Tephritidae) are considered key pests in peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch) and plum (Prunus salicina Lindl.) crops in Brazil, causing both fruit losses and increased fruit costs due to greater use of spray insecticides. To measure the degree of infestation, for this study mature fruits were randomly collected over 2004 - 2006 period from a canopy of 34 varieties of peaches, nectarines and plums, as well as from ungrafted Mume and Okinawa rootstocks in the southwestern region of the São Paulo state, Brazil. Recovered fruit fly pupae were kept in a small cage until adult emergence. Except for “Harry Pickstone”, all other stone-fruit varieties were infested by Tephritidae. From 1,454 Tephritidae pupae, 1,310 adults emerged. We found 669 Ceratitis capitata (Wied.) (361 females and 308 males) and 641 Anastrepha fraterculus (Wied.) (297 females and 344 males). The three varieties of nectarine (Josefina, Rosalina and Rubro-sol) studied were highly susceptible to A. fraterculus, having average rates of infestation above 1.60 adult per fruit. Peaks of both fruit flies species occurred between october and december 2004.
Keywords: Anastrepha fraterculus, Ceratitis capitata, peach, plum, nectarine.