Thermal Requirements of the Peach Fruit Fly, Bactrocera zonata (Saunders) (Diptera: Tephritidae), and its Exotic Parasitoid Species Aganaspis daci (Weld) (Hymenoptera: Eucoilidae)

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Biological Control Research Department, Plant Protection Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Egypt.

Abstract

The peach fruit fly, Bactrocera  zonata (Saunders),is one of the serious invasive insect pests attacking tropical and subtropical fruits. The exotic parasitoid Aganaspis daci (Weld) is a solitary larval-pupal parasitoid of several fruit fly species. The influence of temperature on developmental periods of B. zonata and A. daci were studied at five constant temperatures (15, 20, 25, 30 and 35oC), 60± 5% R.H. and 14L: 10D photoperiod. The developmental time of egg, larval, pupal stages and egg to adult were estimated for B. zonata and A. daci. The longest total developmental period was recorded 59.3±0.18 and 108.9±0.32day, for B. zonata and A. daci, respectively, at 15oC. A. daci could not complete its life cycleat 35°C because the eggs didn't hatch. All temperatures at total developmental time of the parasitoid were longer than that of the host. The developmental thresholds of the egg, larval, pupal stages and egg to adult were 12.17, 6.45, 9.79 and 9.19 °C for B. zonata, and 14.35, 8.78, 10.43 and 10.7 °C for A. daci, respectively. The thermal unit requirements (k) value of the parasitoid was higher than those of its host they were 434.78 and 384.6 degree-days, respectively. This parasitoid can be used as a part of a biological controlling program but it is not expected to be a key agent for control B. zonata.

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