Molecular characterization of interspecific competition of Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead) and Fopius arisanus (Sonan) parasitizing the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel)

Publication date: Available online 27 November 2017 Source:Biological Control Author(s): Guang Hong Liang, Lie Qing Fu, Jun Xian Zheng, Hao Yu Lin, Jian Hui Lin, Sheina B. Sim, Eric B. Jang, Wade P. Heller, Scott M. Geib Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead) and Fopius arisanus (Sonan), are two of the most abundant and widely used parasitoids for biological control of Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) worldwide. However, interspecific competition between them frequently occurs within a single host once they coexit in same orchard, resulting in reduction of their combined impact. However, thus far, it is difficult to characterize these complex interactions. This paper demonstrates qPCR-methods for detection of parasitism for single D. longicaudata, and methods to determine interspecific interaction with F. arisanus. Utilizing qPCR-based methodologies, a species-specific probe was designed for D. longicaudata, which was coupled with a previously published probe for F. arisanus. An assay was developed that is sensitive enough to detect parasitism of solitary D. longicaudata across all developmental stages including one egg per host larva (0.01ng/40ng parasitoid/host DNA). The detected parasitism of D. longicaudata was higher than that of using traditional rearing-methods. For the lab-reared and wild strain of multiple species parasitization, qPCR-methods also detected higher parasitism by the above two species from one assay respectively when compared to conventional rear...
Source: Biological Control - Category: Biology Source Type: research