Hymenopterous larval-pupal and pupal parasitoids of Anastrepha flies (Diptera : Tephritidae) in Mexico

We surveyed 15 wild and cultivated plant species in search of fruit fly (Di ptera: Tephritidae) parasitoids during 4 years (1993-1996) in the state of Veracruz, Mexico. The following species were infested by Anastrepha larvae: Spondias purpurea L., S. mombin L., Tapirira mexicana Marchand, Mangifera indica L. (all Anacardiaceae), Ximenia americana L. (Olacaceae), Citrus sin ensis L. and Casimiroa edulis Llave & Lex. (Rutaceae), Psidium guajava L., P. sartorianum (Berg.), P. guineense Sw., Syzygium jambos L., Myrciaria flo ribunda (West) O. Berg. (all Myrtaceae), Chrysophyllum mexicanum (Brandegce ) ex. Standley and Calocarpum mammosum L, (Sapotaceae), and Passiflora foet ida L. (Passifloraceae). Of these, only C. mexicanum, C. edulis, and P. foe tida did not harbor parasitoids. We identified 10 native and exotic larval- pupal parasitoid species (all Hymenoptera): Doryctobracon areolatus (Szepli geti), D. crawfordi (Viereck), Utetes (Bracanastrepha) anastrephae (Viereck ), and Opius hirtus (Fisher) (all Braconidae), Aganaspis pellenaroi (Brethe s) and Odontosema anastrephae Borgmeier (Eucoilidae) (all native species), and Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead) and Aceratoneuromyia indica (Sil vestri) (Braconidae and Eulophidae, respectively; both exotic species). We also identified two pupal parasitoids: Coptera haywardi (Ogloblin) (Diaprii dae; native) and Pachycrepoideus vindemiae (Rondani) (Pteromalidae; exotic) . Parasitization levels ranged between 0.4 and 83.8%. Native, wild plants h arbored significantly more parasitoids per fruit than cultivated ones. Inte restingly, in P. guajava 2 fly species and 5 parasitoid species were once i dentified in a single fruit. We found a negative correlation between fruit size and number of parasitoids/fruit. We rank parasitoids based on host bre adth (fruit fly species attacked) and number of plant species visited. We d iscuss some general ecological and practical implications of our findings ( e.g., effect of fruit size on parasitism, mass-rearing, and augmentative re leases of native vs exotic parasitoids) and compare our findings with previ ous surveys carried out in Mexico and in Central and South America. We also discuss the need to protect native vegetation because of the important rol e such vegetation plays as reservoirs of fruit fly parasitoids. (C) 1999 Ac ademic Press.