New records of fruit trees as host for Neosilba species (Diptera, Lonchaeidae) in southeast Brazil

Abstract

Abstract Fruits of thirty-five cultivated native plant species (19 orders and 12 families) were sampled in farms of fruit production from two municipalities of São Paulo state, Brazil (January 2010 to March 2012) to evaluate species diversity of Neosilba flies. Thirty-one species of plants were the host for Neosilba species while four were not infested. Some aspects of the biology and patterns of species diversity, abundance, infestation rates, puparias viability and the interactions among species of frugivorous flies and their host plants were quantified. Seven species of Neosilba were reared: Neosilba bella Strikis & Prado (4 hosts), Neosilba certa (Walker) (4 hosts), Neosilba glaberrima (Wiedemann) (5 hosts), Neosilba inesperata Strikis & Prado (6 hosts) Neosilba pendula (Bezzi) (15 hosts), Neosilba pradoi Strikis & Lerena (8 hosts) and Neosilba zadolicha McAlpine (26 hosts). The association between the lance flies and the host fruit species is discussed.