Biocontrol Science and Technology (2012) 22, 1429-1441

Mariana Mabel Viscarret, Claudia A. Conte, Leonela Zusel Carabajal Paladino, Silvia Noemí López, Diego Fernando Segura, Irina Muntaabski, Silvia Beatriz Lanzavecchia and Jorge Luis Cladera (2012)
Rearing of the fruit fly parasitoid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on X-ray irradiated larvae of Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae)
Biocontrol Science and Technology 22 (12), 1429-1441
Abstract: We evaluated the effects of X-ray irradiation on larvae of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae), with the aim of finding a treatment that prevented adult fly emergence, yet did not adversely affect larval quality as rearing hosts for the parasitoid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). Two experiments were carried out. In the first experiment, small numbers of larvae were held in Petri dishes with and without small amounts of rearing media and then irradiated with doses of X-rays ranging from 0 to 8333.6 R (equivalent to 80 Gy). In the second experiment, higher numbers of larvae were held in a manner resembling mass-rearing conditions, and were then irradiated with X-rays ranging from 0 to 10,417 R (equivalent to 100 Gy). In both experiments, the only factor that significantly affected fly emergence was irradiation of larvae. Fly emergence decreased markedly as the irradiation dose increased, and complete suppression of fly emergence was achieved at 6250.2 R (equivalent to 60 Gy) when larvae were irradiated in small batches with or without rearing media. Irradiation also affected the fertility of those flies that did emerge following treatment. In the second experiment, we found the parasitoids reared from irradiated larvae produced a higher parasitism rate and a higher number of female offspring than did parasitoids reared from control (non-irradiated) larvae. Mean fecundity of F1 parasitoids reared from irradiated larvae were affected positively by irradiation only at the 8333.6 R (80 Gy) dose. Our results show that X-ray irradiation can be used to inhibit fruit fly adult emergence and that irradiated larvae are at least as good a rearing substrate as non-irradiated larvae. Future studies should focus on the adjustment of our findings to a mass-rearing scale.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Silvia B. Lanzavecchia, Diego Segura, Silvia N. Lopez

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
rearing/culturing/mass production

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Ceratitis capitata
Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (parasitoid)	Ceratitis capitata