Establishment of a Fruit Fly Parasitoids Mass-Rearing Facility in the Province of San Juan, Argentina

Abstract

Since 1986, the suppression strategies implemented against Ceratitis capitata through the National Fruit Fly Control and Eradication Program in the province of San Juan (ProCEM San Juan), have been based on integrated use of SIT, cultural and chemical controls, plus a quarantine system. In April/2008, the Biological Control has been incorporated into control activities of the ProCEM San Juan. The first step was the establishment of a colony of the parasitoid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata on third-instar larvae of tsl C. capitata strain VIENNA 8 at the San Juan facility. The rearing cages of D. longicaudata were held in a rearing 5% RH, and 12:12 (L:D) h photoperiod.± 1 ºC, 65 ±room with 24 This parasitoid colony was derived from a strain previously reared on late-third instar Anastrepha fraterculus larvae at the Insectary of PROIMI-CONICET, Biological Control Division, located in San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina. However, the colony of D. longicaudata introduced to Argentina was obtained from a strain already adapted to laboratory conditions using Anastrepha ludens (Loew) larvae as a host in the Biological Control Laboratory of the Mexico?s Moscamed-Moscafrut National Program in Metapa de Dominguez, Chiapas, México. Financial support to introduction and establishment of D. longicaudata in Argentina was provided by the Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica, Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva de Argentina (Grants PICT/97 n° 01236 and PICTO/02 n° 12909). Currently, quality control parameters for D. longicaudata reared on tsl C. capitata strain is being analyzed in order to evaluate the rearing process and the final product. In a second phase, is planned a mass rearing of D. longicaudata to reach a weekly production of 5 million parasitoids. In a third phase, the parasitoids will be released in some ecologically isolated fruit-growing areas of San Juan in combination with sterile Medfly releases in order to evaluate parasitoid efficiency once released in the field. Medfly eradication might be reached in those areas with the use of environment-friendly technologies such as SIT and Biological Control.