Biology of Anastrepha grandis (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Different Cucurbits

Abstract

Anastrepha grandis (Macquart) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is one of the main pests of cucurbits in Brazil. Losses occur due to the damage caused to the fruits and the embargo on exports, as A. grandis is considered a quarantine pest in countries that import Brazilian cucurbits. This study aimed to evaluate the development of A. grandis in hosts of the Cucurbitaceae family. The hosts used were stem squash (Cucurbita pepo L.), squash (Cucurbita moschata Duchesne), chayote [Sechium edule (Jacq.) Swartz], mini watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum & Nakai], Spanish melon (Cucumis melo L.), hybrid squash "Tetsukabuto" (C. moschata×Cucurbita maxima Duchesne), and salad cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). We evaluated the viability and duration of egg-to-pupa period, pupal weight, sex ratio, and average number of pupae per fruit under controlled conditions of temperature, relative humidity, and photophase. The preoviposition and oviposition periods, fecundity, fertility, and longevity of females were determined for adults. Hosts of the genus Cucurbita provided a better development of A. grandis in comparison with other hosts, and presented a greater number of insects on fruit as well as higher infestation rate. Fecundity and longevity were also higher for females that developed in hosts of the genus Cucurbita, although values of these biological parameters varied between stem squash, squash, hybrid squash "Tetsukabuto."

Development of Anastrepha grandis (Diptera: Tephritidae) under constant temperatures and field validation of a laboratory model for temperature requirements

“…In terms of fecundity, at 25 C, females laid a greater number of eggs (232.2), differing significantly from the other temperatures tested (c 2 ¼ 1630.43; df ¼ 3; P < 0.0001). Using the same host and the same temperature, Bolzan et al (2015) observed fecundity almost twice as large, although there is a wide variation in fecundity of A. grandis in different hosts (106e538 eggs per female). At 15 and 20 C, fecundity was similar, but it reduced at 30 C (Table 2).…”

“…As described by Bolzan et al (2015), fruits of squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) were offered to females for oviposition. Every 48 h, the squash was replaced and placed in a pot containing vermiculite for moisture absorption and substrate for pupation.…”

“…Swartz) (Costa Lima, 1926;Silva et al, 1968;Malavasi et al, 1980;Silva and Malavasi, 1993). However, among the hosts, the genus Cucurbita allows greater viability of A. grandis and shorter duration of immature stages, consequently, generating a greater number of insects than hosts from other genera (Bolzan et al, 2015).…”

Phytosanitary Cold Treatment AgainstAnastrepha grandis(Diptera: Tephritidae)

“…Palavras Chaves: tratamento de quarentena; fitossanidade; mosca sul-americana das cucurbitáceas; Cucurbita pepo Anastrepha grandis (Macquart) (Diptera: Tephritidae), one of the larger tephritid fruit flies, occurs in much of the low elevation Andean region of South America attacking fruits of the Cucurbitaceae (Silva & Malavasi 1993;Bolzan et al 2015). It is considered a regulated pest of cucurbits by most tropical and subtropical countries where it does not occur.…”

“…The objectives of this research were to determine the most cold-tolerant developmental stage of A. grandis and to estimate a time period required for a phytosanitary cold treatment in zucchini squash, Cucurbita pepo L. (Cucurbitaceae). Cucurbita pepo was the best of several hosts of A. grandis as measured by infestation index, fecundity, and fertility (Bolzan et al 2015).…”