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1 September 2004 Biogeography of Braconid Parasitoids of the Caribbean Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Florida
Avi Eitam, John Sivinski, Tim Holler, Martin Aluja
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Abstract

The geographic distribution of three braconid parasitoids of the Caribbean fruit fly, Anastrepha suspensa (Loew), was determined by collecting host fruit throughout central and southern Florida. Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead) was most abundant in southern Florida, occurring at higher latitudes along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Distribution of this species was negatively related to variance of monthly temperatures. This suggests that D. longicaudata may be dependent on a relatively constant supply of hosts. Doryctobracon areolatus (Szepligeti) was the dominant species at the majority of interior locations, but it was uncommon or absent along both coasts. Utetes anastrephae (Viereck) was widespread but usually less common than the other species. Parasitism levels of both D. areolatus and D. longicaudata were positively related to density of common guava, Psidium guajava L., trees. Parasitism levels of both D. longicaudata and U. anastrephae were positively related to numbers of A. suspensa captured in McPhail traps. Abundance of D. areolatus was inversely related to that of both D. longicaudata and U. anastrephae. The absence of D. areolatus in southeastern Florida, where it was originally established, suggests that a process of competitive displacement may have occurred. Parasitoid distribution is consistent with the hypothesis that D. areolatus is a superior searcher and D. longicaudata is a superior intrinsic competitor.

Avi Eitam, John Sivinski, Tim Holler, and Martin Aluja "Biogeography of Braconid Parasitoids of the Caribbean Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Florida," Annals of the Entomological Society of America 97(5), 928-939, (1 September 2004). https://doi.org/10.1603/0013-8746(2004)097[0928:BOBPOT]2.0.CO;2
Received: 21 July 2003; Accepted: 1 June 2004; Published: 1 September 2004
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KEYWORDS
Braconidae
distribution
environmental factors
interspecific competition
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