Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata (2021) 169, 586-596

Walter Mesquita Filho, Miguel Francisco de Souza-Filho, Adalton Raga, André Stocco de Oliveira, Aparecida Marques de Almeida, Maria José De Marchi Garcia, Joaquim Adelino de Azevedo-Filho, Marcelo Francisco Arantes Pereira, Sônia Maria Nalesso Marangoni Montes, Marcos Doniseti Michelotto, Adriano Gomes Garcia, Wesley Augusto Conde Godoy and Roberto Antonio Zucchi (2021)
Climatic and edaphic characteristics constrain the distribution of the quarantine pest Anastrepha grandis
Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 169 (7), 586-596
Abstract: The South American cucurbit fruit fly, Anastrepha grandis (Macquart) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is an economically important pest of cucurbits and is classified as a quarantine species in many countries. In Brazil, A. grandis has a limited distribution; it is absent from northern and northeastern Brazil and distributed discontinuously in other parts of the country. To indirectly evaluate the influence of climatic and edaphic variables on the occurrence of A. grandis, we used data based on 4 years of cucurbit fruit collections from all mesoregions of the state of São Paulo. Our results show evidence that A. grandis is constrained by a minimum air temperature above 12 °C, low (<20 °C) and high (>29 °C) maximum air temperature, and by low rainfall and relative humidity, occurring at altitudes from 520 to 780 m. More importantly, A. grandis was not collected in central to western São Paulo, where sandy soil and low soil water availability predominate and the climate is hot and dry. Our findings suggest that soil texture and moisture may be limiting factors for pupal survivorship of A. grandis, and consequently edaphic characteristics should be taken into account in studies on its geographical distribution. Based on our results, central to western São Paulo state can potentially be classified as an area of low pest prevalence. Moreover, in countries where cucurbit species are cultivated in such conditions, it is not likely that A. grandis could become established.
(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): Adalton Raga, Adriano G. Garcia, Wesley Augusto C. Godoy

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
environment - cropping system/rotation
quarantine treatments/regulations/aspects

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Anastrepha grandis		Brazil (south)