Abstract
Studies on frugivorous flies in Alagoas State, Brazil, have been limited to species of fruit flies (Tephritidae). This paper reports six species of Neosilba (Lonchaeidae) in five municipalities of Alagoas State: Neosilba bella, N. certa, N. glaberrima, N. inesperata, N. pendula and N. zadolicha.
Introduction
Lonchaeids are among the most important pests in fruit trees cultivated in the American continent (Uchôa-Fernandes 2012). Larvae of some lonchaeid species are primary invasive pests of fruits, flower buds (Araújo and Zucchi 2002; Santos et al. 2004) and may have a significant economic impact on fruit crops (Mac Gowan and Okamoto 2013). Economically-important species of the Neotropical region belong to genera Dasiops Rondani, 1856 and Neosilba McAlpine, 1962. The genus Neosilba is represented by 40 species distributed mainly over the Neotropical region and 25 of them have been reported in Brazil (Aguiar-Menezes et al. 2007; Strikis 2011; Galeano-Olaya and Canal 2012; Uchôa-Fernandes 2012).
Surveys of lonchaeids have been increasing in several parts of the world. Most of Lonchaeidae species have been found during surveys when fruits are collected to assess the incidence of tephritid flies. There are few surveys specifically focusing on the identification of lonchaeids mainly because most of the species are secondary pests. Some plant families serving as hosts for Neosilba larvae have been identified, such as Malpighiaceae, Myrtaceae, Rutaceae, Anacardiaceae, Annonaceae, Caricaceae, Caryocaraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Combretaceae, Lauraceae, Oxalidaceae, Passifloraceae, Rubiaceae, Rosaceae and Solanaceae (Camargos et al. 2011; Strikis and Prado 2009; Araújo and Zucchi 2002).
Although several crops that are cultivated in Alagoas state can serve as hosts for lonchaeids, the only record has been in fruits of Jatropha curcas L. (Euphorbiaceae) commonly known as "pinhão-manso" (Dias et al. 2012). In this context, the aim of this work was to survey lonchaeid species and their hosts in five municipalities of Alagoas state therefore collaborating to extend the limited knowledge on lonchaeid diversity.
The current study was conducted in commercial and domestic orchards of Wild (dry forest) and East regions of Alagoas state, in the districts of Anadia ("Povoado Tabuleiro Grande" - 9°41′6″S, 36°18′24″W, 163 masl); Arapiraca ("Povoado Pé Leve" - 9°45′06″S, 36°39′37″W, 261 masl); Junqueiro ("Povoado Laminha" - 9°54′14″S, 36°28′0″W, 214 masl); Maceió ("Sítio Paraíso" - 9°40'S, 35°42′W, 110 masl, "Sítio Aldeia Verde" - 9,5°35'S, 35°42′W, 65 masl) and Palmeira dos Índios ("Povoado Gavião" - 9°24′58″S, 36°37′52″ W, 196 masl), from October 2010 to December 2011.
In order to determine the association of host plant with the fruit fly (Lonchaeidae), sampling of fruits were systematically conducted. Fruits were randomly collected in several heights of fruit tree canopy as well as recently fallen ones that were still in good conditions, i.e. not rotten or no openings made by larvae when leaving the fruit. The number of collected fruits varied over the year according to the fructification season of each host as well as fruit availability. Fruits were sampled from 26 plant species, belonging to 14 botanical families (Table 1). Ripe fruits were transported to the Entomology Laboratory of the University of Alagoas (Brazil) then weighed and deposited in trays containing autoclaved sand and covered by voile fabric. Puparia were placed on pots containing sand and closed with fabric for their emergence.
A total of 1,501 specimens of lonchaeids (825 females and 676 males) were obtained during 15 months of sampling. They were associated with 16 plant species out of 26 surveyed species (Table 1). Six lonchaeid species were identified: Neosilba bella Strikis & Prado 2006, Neosilba certa (Walker, 1850), Neosilba glaberrima (Wiedemann, 1830), Neosilba inesperata Strikis & Prado, 2009, Neosilba pendula (Bezzi, 1919) e Neosilba zadolicha McAlpine & Steyskal, 1982. Female specimens that were not identified at species level are cited as Neosilba sp. Although the goal of this study was to survey the lonchaeid hosts, most of the collected fruit were infested by tephritids. However, Annona muricata Linnaeus (soursop), Inga sp. (inga), Citrus sp. (lime), Citrus aurantium Linnaeus (orange) and Ziziphus joazeiro Martius (jua) were only infested by Neosilba spp., and they were considered primary hosts in this survey. Malpighia glaba Linnaeus (acerola), despite the fact that was infested by some tephritid, most puparia were identified as Neosilba sp. and this fruit tree was also considered a primary host of lonchaeids. Other fruit tree species were considered as secondary hosts.
Hosts of lonchaeids in five municipalities of Alagoas state, Brazil. From October 2010 to December 2011.
Among the obtained species, N. pendula was found in-festing the highest number of collected fruits, 12 hosts out of 16. Infestation by this species has also been recorded in different hosts in other regions of Brazil. In Rio Grande do Norte state, N. pendula was recorded in eight species of fruit tree: Spondias lutea Linnaeus (cajarana), Spondias purpurea Linnaeus (siriguela), M. glaba, Psidium guajava Linnaeus (guava), Averrhoa carambola Linnaeus (star fruit), Z. joazeiro, Citrus reticulata Blanco (tangerine) and Fortunella sp. (kumquat) (Rutaceae) (Araújo and Zucchi 2002). In surveys using McPhail traps in four municipalities of Bahia, N. pendula was considered the most common species, representing 56.1% of the collected specimens (Bittencourt et al. 2006). In Pará, the same species was found infesting Chrysobalanus icaco Linnaeus (ajuru) (Chrysobalanaceae) and in Roraima, M. glaba, Bellucia grossularioides Linnaeus ("goiabade-anta") (Melastomataceae) and Citharexylum poeppigii Walp. ("cereja-do-mato") (Verbenaceae) (Strikis et al. 2011). N. pendula is the most common species attacking floral buds of Passiflora edulis (yellow passion fruits) (Aguiar-Menezes et al. 2002).
Neosilba glaberrima was found infesting Spondias sp., (umbu-caja), A. muricata, M. glaba, P. guajava, Psidium cattleianum (sour guava), Eugenia uniflora (pitanga) and Citrus sp. Strikis et al. (2011) reported this species infesting up to 20 hosts, such as A. muricata, M. glaba and P. guava. In Bahia state, N. glaberrima adults emerged from M. glaba, E. uniflora, C. aurantium, and Capsicum chinense (pepper) (Solanaceae) (Melo 2013), whereas in Paraíba the species was found in C. reticulata (Lopes et al. 2008). As happens for most of frugivorous flies, depending on the hosts, some species prevail over others in terms of number of individuals. Collections of Jatropha curcas L. ("pinhão-manso") (Euphorbiaceae) in Alagoas state showed that N. glaberrima was predominant, representing 52 % of the total, and there is a primary association between the fly and the host (Dias et al. 2012).
Neosilba certa was recorded in five plant species, although the number of specimens was considerably low. A single specimen was collected in Spondias sp., Inga sp., M. glaba and P. cattleianum, and three specimens in E. uniflora.
Neosilba zadolicha was obtained in Mangifera indica (mango), A. muricata, M. glaba, P. guajava and P. cattleianum. Earlier surveys pointed out that this species is present in Spondias sp., (umbu-cajazeira) in other states of Northeast region (Santos et al. 2004) and it was considered a primary pest of commercial C. reticulata orchards in Paraiba (Lopes et al. 2008). A survey in Mato Grosso do Sul State showed that N. zadolicha infests mistletoe fruits (Psittacanthus acinarius) (Loranthaceae) (Caires et al. 2009). In Jaboticabal-SP, the same species was found in fruits of Pouteria caimito Radlk. (Sapotaceae), representing the first record of N. zadolicha infesting this host in Brazil (Fernandes et al. 2013). In municipalities of the Southeastern Brazil, N. zadolicha was obtained from floral buds of Passiflora alata (sweet passion fruit) (Aguiar-Menezes et al. 2004).
In Rio de Janeiro State, Aguiar et al. (2007) showed that N. certa, N. glaberrima and N. pendula infests cultivars of Coffea arabica L. in shaded and unshaded systems under organic management.
The lonchaeids N. bella and N. inesperata infested a low number of hosts, which were three and one, respectively. The first record of N. bella in Brazil occurred in 2006 from samples of coffee fruits (Coffee arabica) (Rubiaceae) (Strikis and Prado 2006). Then, the lonchaeid has been registered infesting different hosts in other Brazilian states. In Amapa, the species was collected in murici fruits (Byrsonima crassifolia) (Malpighiaceae) and it was considered a species of seasonal occurrence (Adaime et al. 2012). In Alagoas, N. bella was recorded in J. curcas ("pinhão-manso") (Dias et al. 2012), while in South of Bahia, the fly was collected from M. glaba and P. cattleianum, E. uniflora and Manilkara zapota (sapota) (Melo et al. 2012; Bittencourt et al. 2013). In Tocantins, Neosilba sp. was found infesting P. guajava, M. glaba, Citrus reticulata (tangerine), Mauritia flexuosa (buriti).
Little is known on Neosilba inesperata hosts in the literature. The current study showed that this lonchaeid infests only M. glaba.
As a conclusion, this study reinforces the fact that lonchaeids present a wide host range by infesting different economically-important hosts.