First record of Zaprionus indianus Gupta, 1970 (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in peach crops in the community of Surutato, Badiraguato, Sinaloa, Mexico.

Resumen

ABSTRACT

Objective: To identify the dipteran species associated with premature peach fruit drop in the community of Surutato, thereby providing a foundation for the development of phytosanitary measures. Design/methodology/approach: McPhail-type traps baited with hydrolyzed protein as an olfactory attractant were installed in peach plants (Prunus persica L. Batsch, 1801). The collected specimens were preserved in 70% ethanol and subsequently identified using dichotomous keys. Results: Six morphotypes belonging to the order Diptera were identified: three syrphids (Syrphidae), one phorid (Phoridae), one muscid (Muscidae), and one drosophilid (Drosophilidae). The first five are characterized as predators of aphids and psyllids. The identified drosophilid was the African fig fly (Zaprionus indianus Gupta, 1970), a pest that, over the past three decades, has demonstrated remarkable invasive capacity across the American continent. Limitations on study/implications: Sampling was limited to the community of Surutato and to peach plants; consequently, the true extent of the infestation remains unknown, as does the presence of the African fig fly in other crops. Findings/conclusions: This study presents the first record of the African fig fly, Zaprionus indianus Gupta, 1970 (Diptera: Drosophilidae), at 1,500 metres above sea level in peach cultivation in the state of Sinaloa. The data suggest that the pronounced phenotypic plasticity exhibited by the African fig fly, together with its considerable tolerance to low temperatures and the availability of host plants, confers the necessary attributes for its successful establishment in the Sierra de Surutato.