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Drosophila suzukii and Zaprionus indianus are invasive pests that threaten South American fruit industry. There are few insecticides authorized for their control, and cultural control is uneconomical. There is little knowledge about local beneficial organisms that could regulate the populations of these pests. The objectives of this work were to collect existing information on parasitoids associated with both pests in South America, and to evaluate their possible functionality and perspectives as biological control agents. Species of parasitoids surveyed: Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae, Pachycrepoideus sp., Spalangia endius, Trichopria anastrephae, Trichopria sp., Dicerataspis grenadensis, Dieucoila, Ganaspis hookeri, Ganaspis sp.1, Ganaspis sp.2, Hexacola, Leptopilina boulardi, L. clavipes and Leptopilina sp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This contribution concerns the application of the biological -taxonomic and geographic- representation of the Diapriidae collection housed at the Entomology Division of the Museo de La Plata. The main results of the three subfamilies represented in the collection were: Ambositrinae and Diapriinae, 62.03% and 64.28% of specimens identified to genus level, respectively and Belytinae with 60.93% at subfamily level. Neuquén and Misiones are the Argentinian provinces with the largest geographical representativity in taxonomical terms. The genera with greater number of samples are Dissoxylabis Kieffer (74.28%), Cladicauda Early (53.89%) and Spilomicrus Westwood (37.45%). We also provide a list of the taxa represented in the collection. In terms of taxonomic coverage, the collection contains specimens from three of the four subfamilies of Diapriidae and about 80% of the genera present in the Neotropical Region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhagoletis pomonella is one of the main pests of hawthorn in central Mexico. This pest can damage 100% fruit when no control tactics are applied. A survey from 2007 to 2009 in Texcoco, Mexico, was held in order to explore the natural enemy complex of this pest. Puparia of Rhagoletis pomonella were collected in soil from infested hawthorn trees. Puparia were kept under controlled conditions during diapause awaiting for parasitoid emergence. 2734 puparia were collected, but only 1460 insects emerged: 68.3% of them were fruit flies and 31.7% were parasitoids. Six parasitoid species were identified: Coptera sp. (Diapriidae), the most common parasitoid (25% of total parasitism), represents a new record of this species attacking R. pomonella pupae. Utetes near canaliculatus (Braconidae) (3.4%) was previously recorded as a parasitoid of this fruit fly in Mexico; Diachasmimorpha mexicana (Braconidae) (2.3%) had not been reported for this area.. Hemipenthes blanchardiana (Bombyliidae) (<0.5%) represents the first record of this family attacking R. pomonella worldwide. Finally, an individual Ichneumonidae and Braconidae were found, but these were not identified. Total parasitism was 31.7%, this result can generate a potential for the use of these parasitoids in conservation biological control programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]