Surveys for Stenoma catenifer (Lepidoptera: Elachistidae) and Associated Parasitoids Infesting Avocados in Perú Author(s): Mark S. Hoddle and Christina D. Hoddle Source: Journal of Economic Entomology, 105(2):402-409. 2012. Published By: Entomological Society of America DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1603/EC11414 URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1603/EC11414 BioOne (www.bioone.org) is a nonprofit, online aggregation of core research in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences. BioOne provides a sustainable online platform for over 170 journals and books published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses. Your use of this PDF, the BioOne Web site, and all posted and associated content indicates your acceptance of BioOne’s Terms of Use, available at www.bioone.org/page/terms_of_use. Usage of BioOne content is strictly limited to personal, educational, and non-commercial use. Commercial inquiries or rights and permissions requests should be directed to the individual publisher as copyright holder. BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting authors, nonprofit publishers, academic institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to critical research. ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR Surveys for Stenoma catenifer (Lepidoptera: Elachistidae) and Associated Parasitoids Infesting Avocados in Peru´ 1,2,3 1,2 MARK S. HODDLE AND CHRISTINA D. HODDLE J. Econ. Entomol. 105(2): 402Ð409 (2012); DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1603/EC11414 ABSTRACT Surveys for Stenoma catenifer Walsingham, the avocado seed moth, and its associated larval parasitoids were conducted in the Departments of Junõ´n, Hua´nuco, Cusco, and Madre de Dios in Peru´ . Fruit infestation levels in some areas ranged from 0 to 58%, and parasitism of S. catenifer larvae in Junõ´n and Hua´nuco was 23%. Five species of hymenopteran parasitoid in two families, Braconidae (Apanteles sp., Hypomicrogaster sp., and Chelonus sp.) and Ichneumonidae (Pristeromerus sp. and Xiphosomella sp.), were reared from larvae, and one species of tachinid ßy (Chrysodoria sp.) emerged from pupae. The dominant larval parasitoid, a gregarious Apanteles sp., accounted for 55% of parasitized hosts. Branch and twig tunneling by S. catenifer larvae in a commercial Hass avocado orchard was observed in Cusco. The Þeld attractiveness of the sex pheromone of S. catenifer was demonstrated with 73% of monitoring traps deployed in three departments (Junõ´n, Hua´nuco, and Cusco) catching male moths. Approximately 55% of avocado fruit sourced from the Province of Chanchamayo (Junõ´n) and purchased at the Mercado Modelo de Frutas in La Victoria, in central Lima were infested with larvae of S. catenifer. Infested avocado fruit sold at this market could represent a potential incursion threat to coastal Hass avocado production regions in Peru´ that are reportedly free of this pest. KEY WORDS avocado, life table, Peru´ , sex pheromone, Stenoma catenifer Exports of fresh avocados (Persea americana Miller In California, avocados are grown by Ϸ6,000 grow- [Lauraceae]) from countries where this plant is native ers on Ϸ24,000 ha, and the ÔHassÕ cultivar accounts for (i.e., Me´xico, Central and South America; Knight 95% of production. In 2010, this crop was worth $403 2002) are rapidly increasing as international trade million (California Avocado Commission 2009Ð2010). agreements are brokered to satisfy consumer demand Notably in California, there is a pronounced absence for year round supplies of this fruit (Hoddle et al., of specialist coevolved fruit feeding pests (i.e., fruit 2009Ð2010). A risk associated with fresh fruit exports ßies, moths, and weevils; Hoddle 2004) that adversely from countries in the native range of this plant into affect commercial production in areas where this plant countries with domestic avocado production outside is native. This absence of frugivorous insects has been of the native range (e.g., California) is accidental con- attributed, in part, to a Federal ban on fruit imports tamination with coevolved pest species that could be that was established in 1914 to protect the U.S. indus- injurious to the receiving country (Hoddle et al., try from these pests. However, commencing in 1998 2009Ð2010, Morse et al. 2009). In 2008, the United imports of fresh fruit from countries with this co- States was the worldÕs largest importer of avocados at evolved frugivorous pest fauna underwent gradual le- Ϸ315,000 tonnes and these fresh fruit imports had an galization (California Avocado Commission 2004). estimated value of around $600 million (FAOSTAT Stenoma catenifer Walsingham (Lepidoptera: Ela- 2011). Most of this imported fruit originates from chistidae), the avocado seed moth, is a specialist Me´xico the largest exporter of avocados to the U.S. herbivore of Lauraceae and a notorious fruit pest in (Pollack et al. 2010) and is destined for sale in southern countries where avocados are native. It is widely dis- California, an area with the largest domestic avocado tributed from Me´xico through Central America into industry in the United States. To help meet this do- South America (Wysocki et al. 2002). In some areas mestic demand for fresh avocados over August where S. catenifer is native, it is the major limiting through October 2011, Pe´ru exported 8,890 tonnes of factor to commercial production, and in parts of Ven- fruit to the United States, of which Ϸ80% was shipped ezuela (Bosca´n de Martõ´nez and Godoy 1982) and to California. Brazil (Nava et al. 2005a) fruit infested with feeding larvae can reach 80% or higher. Adult S. catenifer are 1 Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, nocturnal, and female moths lay eggs on or near fruit. CA 92521. Larvae bore into fruit to feed on the pulp and seed that 2 Center for Invasive Species Research, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521. results in economic loses (Hoddle and Hoddle 2008a). 3 Corresponding author, e-mail: [email protected]. Fruit with advanced stages of infestation commonly 0022-0493/12/0402Ð0409$04.00/0 ᭧ 2012 Entomological Society of America April 2012 HODDLE AND HODDLE: Stenoma catenifer IN PERU´ 403 exhibit holes with frass accumulating at the openings, Peru´ ) with the authors. The project had four major and often white perseitol residues stain the fruit below objectives: 1) to document the parasitoid fauna asso- these holes (Hoddle and Hoddle 2008a). S. catenifer ciated with S. catenifer larvae and pupae in the De- has demonstrated an ability to establish in areas out- partments of Junõ´n and Hua´nuco, 2) to survey for S. side of its native range via the accidental importation catenifer in the Departments of Cusco and Madre de of infested fruit. This occurred in 2000, when S. Dios, areas not ofÞcially known to have this pest, 3) to catenifer established in the Gala´pagos Islands after its verify the twig infesting habit of S. catenifer larvae, and likely introduction with infested avocados from Ec- 4) to ascertain whether the sex pheromone is attrac- uador (Landry and Roque-Albelo 2003). tive to S. catenifer in different areas of Peru´ . The results One sensitive and highly speciÞc tool for monitor- of this work conducted in Peru´ over the period 1 May ing and detecting invasive pests are sex pheromones. 2010 through 27 July 2010 are presented here. Traps baited with sex pheromone can be used to mon- itor export orchards to demonstrate that they are pest Materials and Methods free and traps can also be used for incursion moni- toring in countries receiving imports from high risk Fruit Collections and Insect Rearing in the Labo- areas (Hoddle et al. 2011). The sex pheromone of S. ratory. In total, 405 avocado fruit exhibiting symptoms catenifer has been identiÞed (Millar et al. 2008), pro- suggestive of being infested with S. catenifer were tocols for its synthesis have been developed (Hoddle collected over the period 27 May 2010 through 30 June et al. 2009), and improved (Zou and Millar 2010), use 2011 from two departments (Junõ´n and Hua´nuco) and under Þeld conditions has been optimized (Hoddle et at least four districts within these departments. al. 2011), Þeld longevity is Ϸ4Ð6 wk (Hoddle et al. Damaged fruit were collected from farms, packing 2009), and the pheromone is commercially available houses, and fruit markets (Table 1). Fruit were kept (www.iscatech.com). The attractiveness of the S. in collapsible ventilated insect rearing cages (Bug- catenifer sex pheromone has been demonstrated in Dorm-2120, [60 ϫ 60 ϫ 60 cm], MegaView Science Me´xico, Guatemala, and Brazil. These results suggest Education Services, Taiwan) that were labeled by that it is unlikely that widely separated populations of location and collecting date. Cages were held in a well S. catenifer use different sex pheromones (Hoddle et lit and ventilated room at the SEANSA OfÞces in San al. 2011). Despite the commercial availability of the Ramo´n, Junõ´n under natural daylight and lengths (Ϸ12 pheromone and its demonstrated utility, exporters h) at 25.29ЊC Ϯ 1.32 and RH 72.12% Ϯ 5.76. shipping fruit to the United States from areas with S. Fruit were inspected regularly, and emerged ma- catenifer are not required to monitor export-certiÞed ture S. catenifer larvae wandering in cages searching orchards with the sex pheromone to verify the ab- for pupation sites were isolated and kept in labeled sence of this pest. clear plastic cups with ventilated lids. After a 14 d Despite the widely acknowledged pestiferousness holding period, all fruit from a particular harvest date of S. catenifer and its propensity to invade new areas, were opened, and avocado seeds showing recent S. relatively little is known about this moth in most of catenifer activity were cleaned of fruit pulp and iso- its native range, especially in countries that export lated individually in labeled clear plastic cups with large volumes of fruit internationally (e.g., Me´xico).