Potential for areawide integrated management of Mediterranean fruit fly (Diptera : Tephritidae) with a braconid parasitoid and a novel bait spray

The braconid wasp, Fopius arisanus (Sonan), a biological control agent for Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), was studied in cof fee, Coffea arabica L. Fopius arisanus, comprised 79.3% of the total parasi toids (7,014) recovered from fruits collected at three small coffee farms. Data from seasonal host/parasitoid studies at a large coffee plantation als o suggested that the most effective natural enemy of C. capitata in coffee may now reside in Hawaii. The original parasitoids introduced into Hawaii f or C. capitata control (Diachasmimorpha tryoni (Cameron), Tetrastichus giff ardianus Silvestri, and Dirhinus giffardii Silvestri) are now rare. Abundan ce of F. arisanus with respect to other parasitoids collected was influence d by elevation (274, 457, 610 m). Fopius arisanus was the dominant parasito id at all three elevations, Diachasmimorpha longicaudata Ashmead) occurred consistently, and T. giffardianus was abundant only at low elevation. The i mpacts on C. capitata and F. arisanus populations of bait sprays containing malathion, spinosad, or phloxine B applied to coffee were also evaluated. All three bait sprays suppressed C. capitata populations. Spinosad and phlo xine B bait sprays appeared less harmful to the wasp than malathion. Fopius arisanus offers the potential for areawide management of C. capitata that includes biological control and integration with more environmentally safe chemical controls such as spinosad and phloxine B bait sprays.