Hosts and abundance of Anastrepha in municipalities of central Tamaulipas, Mexico

Abstract

The temporal distribution of Anastrepha species in various host plants located in six municipalities of Tamaulipas, Mexico, was determined. A total of 19,064 adults were captured, and A. ludens (98\%; n = 18,681) clearly predominated, followed by A. obliqua (1.31\%; n = 250), A. serpentina (0.59\%; n = 112), and A. striata (0.11\%; n = 21). All four species strongly preferred Valencia oranges, and 12,970 flies were captured on this fruit. Additionally, A. ludens significantly preferred early-season oranges (11\%; n = 1,987), while A. obliqua preferred mango (25\%; n = 63). Thus, these are the main hosts for each species. Regarding wild hosts, only A. ludens was captured in mante, yellow chapote, and kumquat, whereas A. obliqua was only recorded in mante. No Anastrepha flies were detected in almond, anacahua, or guava trees. The municipalities with the highest abundance of flies included Guemez (30\%), Padilla (25\%), and Llera de Canales (19\%). The highest number of flies per day (MTD) was recorded for A. ludens in October (0.0395), March (0.0372), and December (0.0201). Moreover, A. obliqua, A. serpentina, and A. striata had low MTD values, and their populations did not peak during the study period.