Predation of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly and the Oriental Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) by the Fire Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Hawaii

Abstract

Predation by Solenopsis geminata (F.) on mature larvae and teneral adult flies of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) and the oriental fruit fly, Dacus dorsalis Hendel, was studied in the laboratory' and on the ground beneath guava trees in Hawaii. In the laboratory, S. geminata produced 100% larval mortality in C. capitata in 15-sec. attacks by an average of 5 ants per larva and 80% larval mortality in D. dorsalis in 15-sec. attacks by an average of 4.5 ants per larva. When C. capitata and D. dorsalis pupae were buried in the soil beneath guava trees in protected cages to permit only ant-sized predators to enter, the average mortality of teneral adult flies from predators was 31.0% and 35.0%, respectively. Total mortality from the time 8-day-old pupae were placed in the field was 73.4% and 70%, respectively, for C. capitata and D. dorsalis. We infer that predacious ants play a prominent role in this mortality.