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Frugivorous dipterans (tephritidae and lonchaeidae) in the Mossoró/Assu, state of Rio Grande do Norte.

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Author(s):
Elton Lucio de Araujo
Total Authors: 1
Document type: Doctoral Thesis
Press: Piracicaba.
Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALA/BC)
Defense date:
Examining board members:
Roberto Antonio Zucchi; Aldo Malavasi Filho; Angelo Pires do Prado; Adalton Raga; Sinval Silveira Neto
Advisor: Roberto Antonio Zucchi
Abstract

The Mossoró/Assu region (RN), located in a semi-arid zone, is important as a center of fruit production and export, especially melons, Cucumis melo, and, mangoes, Mangifera indica. Thus, the objective of the present study was to investigate several aspects related to fruit flies (Dip.; Tephritidae) and lonchaeids (Dip.; Lonchaeidae) in this region. After two years of collection with McPhail traps and reared from fruits, ten tephritid species and a single lonchaeid species, Neosilba pendula (Bezzi), were detected. The most common fruit flies were Anastrepha zenildae Zucchi, A. obliqua (Mcquart), and Ceratitis capitata (Wied.). The highest infestation levels were observed on 'juá' fruits, Ziziphus joazeiro (Rhamnaceae) and on kumquats, Fortunella sp. (Rutaceae). In some months of the year, A. zenildae was considered as a pest in guava, Psidium guajava (Myrtaceae), orchards. Adult population, host availability, rainfall and temperature were the factors that most influenced the levels of guava fruit infestation by Anastrepha species. Neosilba pendula showed low infestation levels on fruit trees of region, but was considered as an important primary invader of "acerola", Malpighia emarginata (Malpighiaceae). Three parasitoid species (Braconidae) were obtained from fruit fly puparia, the most common being Doryctobracon areolatus (Szépligeti). (AU)