Dispersion patterns of Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in citrus orchards in southeast Brazil |
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| Authors: | Beatriz A J Paranhos Paulo C D Mendes Nikos T Papadopoulos Julio M M Walder |
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| Institution: | 1. Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa – Tropical Semi-Arid), Laboratory of Fruit Flies , Petrolina – PE , Brazil;2. CNPq , Volos , Greece;3. Department of Agriculture, Crop Production and Rural Environment , University of Tessaly , Volos , Greece;4. Laboratory of Food Irradiation and Radio-Entomology , CENA – University of S?o Paulo , Piracicaba – SP , Brazil |
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| Abstract: | We studied the dispersion patterns of the exotic endoparasitoid, Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ahsmed) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), in 1999 (summer) and in 2000 (winter) in a citrus orchard in southeast Brazil. Different population densities of D. longicaudata were released in the centre of the orchard, and their dispersion was determined by using yellow, sticky, rectangular traps, placed in various distances and heights around the release point. Our results suggest that during summer, climatic conditions did not affect dispersion. However, in winter, dispersion rates were positively affected by temperature, and negatively by rainfall. Both estimated dispersal distance and surface were higher in summer than in winter for all release densities. Dispersion peaked at 2000 parasitoids ha?1 in summer and 8000 parasitoids ha?1 in winter. The importance of our results for the biological control of fruit flies by augmented or innoculative releases of D. longicaudata in southeast Brazil is discussed. |
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| Keywords: | Dispersal behavior parasitoid release density fruit flies |
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