Comparison of the Performances of Wild Anastrepha obliqua (Diptera: Tephritidae) Individuals Proceeding From Different Hosts

Abstract

Abstract Feeding during the insect immature phase is extremely important for an adequate performance in adult life. The nutritional value of the ingested diet during the immature phase directly affects the percentage of emergence, the duration of the immature phase, and the size of the emerging adults. The objectives of this study were to compare the performance of adult Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart) (Diptera: Tephritidae) females, the pupae per kg of fruit, and the percentage of emergence of flies that spent the larval phase in three fruit species (Mangifera indica L., Spondias lutea L., and S. venulosa L.), taking into account the amount of nutrients in the fruit. Weekly collections were carried out during the fructification period of the hosts. Adult size, longevity, egg production, ingestion of artificial diets by adult females, number of pupae per fruit and pupae per kg of fruit, and percentage of adult emergence were determined. The results showed that S. venulosa was the main A. obliqua host and the most infested among the studied fruit. The adult performance did not vary among the studied hosts; however, the percentage of emergence did. The amount of nutrients in the fruit did not affect the parameters that were analyzed. It is possible that the physical characteristics of the fruit were more important to wild A. obliqua females in their choice for an oviposition site than the amount of nutrients per se. Furthermore, the fruit surface/volume ratio also was involved in the infestation index.