Zaprionus tuberculatus, a recent invasive species in the Neotropics: seasonality and genetic characterization

• Grant number: 23/14850-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2024
• End date: December 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biology
• Principal Investigator: Lilian Madi Ravazzi
• Grantee: Isabele Carvalho Riccardi
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de São José do Rio Preto. São José do Rio Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The conservation of biodiversity represents one of today's greatest challenges in biological research. The exponential destruction of habitats and its serious direct and indirect consequences for the populations of organisms, reducing population sizes and their genetic diversity to levels that could lead to extinction, has led to an exponential increase in work in this area. One of the factors that have accelerated the loss of biodiversity is the spread of invasive species. These species can cause decline or even extinction of native species, they can also impact the economy if they can act as agricultural pests. Some species of the Drosophilidae family are considered invasive and one of them, Zaprionus indianus, detected in South America in 1998, caused a total loss of fig production in Valinhos in the State of São Paulo in 1999. Recently, a new species of this genus, Z. tuberculatus was also detected in 2020, which also has African origin and is reproducing in orchards in Europe. Monitoring this recent invader in the State of São Paulo and other states in Brazil is extremely important for understanding its degree of dispersion and ecological activity, in addition to evaluating its interference in the guild, in order to preserve native drosophilids and also be able to monitor the possible damage that this species may cause in agriculture and propose control strategies. In this context, the present proposal aims to monitor the species Zaprionus tuberculatus in regions of the State of São Paulo, as part of a broader project at national level (Federal University of Brasília, coordinating headquarters), in which we are collaborators together with other experienced drosophilist researchers in the project area and established in universities in different regions of the country. Finally, the proposal also involves scientific dissemination activities, taxonomic support for professionals linked to fruit growing, and training of human resources in strategic areas for the State of São Paulo. The objectives of this project are in accordance with the 15th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), supported by the United Nations (UN), which seeks to take urgent and significant measures to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and , protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species, and also implement measures to prevent the introduction and significantly reduce the impact of invasive exotic species on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and control or eradicate priority species.