The Mayan Tropical Rainforest: An Uncharted Reservoir of Tritrophic Host-Fruit Fly-Parasitoid Interactions

Abstract

Over a two-year period, we surveyed natural areas of the Mayan rainforest in Quintana Roo, Mexico. We found 11 species of <i>Anastrepha</i> Schiner (Diptera: Tephritidae) infesting 25 species of fruits belonging to ten plant families. We report the first records of 10 host plant species of the genus <i>Anastrepha</i>, which include the first report of a plant family (Putranjivaceae) serving as host of <i>Anastrepha fraterculus</i> (Wiedemann) infesting <i>Drypetes lateriflora</i> (Sw.) Krug and Urb. (Putranjivaceae). <i>Pouteria reticulata</i> (Engl.) Eyma (Sapotaceae) was found, for the first time, to be infested by <i>Anastrepha serpentina</i> (Wiedemann) and by a new undescribed species of <i>Anastrepha</i>. We also report <i>Casimiroa microcarpa</i> Lundell (Rutaceae) as a possible ancestral host for the Mexican fruit fly, <i>Anastrepha ludens</i> (Loew), in Central America. The family Sapotaceae was the best-represented host group with three fruit fly species recovered: <i>A. serpentina</i>, an economically-important species, found in eight host plants, and <i>A. hamata</i> and <i>A. sp.</i> (new species). We recorded six species of koinobiont parasitoids: <i>Doryctobracon areolatus</i> Szepligeti, <i>Utetes</i> (<i>Bracanastrepha</i>) <i>anastrephae</i> Viereck, <i>Opius hirtus</i> Fisher, and <i>Doryctobracon zeteki</i> Musebeck, (all Braconidae), and <i>Aganaspis pelleranoi</i> (Brethés) and <i>Odontosema anastrephae</i> Borgmeier, (both Figitidae). All these parasitoid species represent at least a new report for their host plants. Of the whole parasitoid community, <i>D. areolatus</i> was the most important parasitoid species with 52.7% of presence in 12 host plant species, parasitizing six fruit fly species. The interaction between fruit flies and their parasitoids with host plants depends on fruit availability, which is crucial for the survival of each of these species. Conserving the landscape of the Mayan rainforest is important not only for species conservation, but also for the maintenance of fruit fly host plants in orchard agroecosystems in southeastern Mexico.