Endemic Parasitoids Associated with Anastrepha Spp. (Diptera: Tephritidae) Infesting Guava (Psidium Guajava) in Southern Bahia, Brazil (Scientific Notes) (Report‪)‬

Brazil harbors a very high diversity of Anastrepha species that infest a wide variety of hosts. Out of the 195 Anastrepha species currently described, 95 species are known from Brazil, and these infest fruits in 31 plant families (Zucchi 2000). Many Myrtaceae are important fruit fly hosts, and approximately 25 species in the genera Psidium, Eugenia, and Syzygium are infested (Hernandez-Ortiz 2000). Guava (Psidium guajava L.), endemic to the Neotropical region, is the most valuable cultivated species in the Myrtaceae (Thaipong & Boonprakob 2005) and is one of the preferred fruit fly hosts in Brazil (Araujo & Zucchi 2003; Raga et al. 2006). It is also noteworthy that fruit from the family Myrtaceae is particularly attractive to parasitoids in the family Figitidae. This suggests a long-standing tritrophic relationship among these parasitoids, fruit flies, and myrtaceous fruit (Guimaraes & Zucchi 2004; Guimaraes et al. 1999, 2003). Recent studies conducted in Central and South America revealed the presence of a large guild of native tephritid parasitoids (Ovruski et al. 2004, for review). Even though native parasitoids are potentially useful biological control agents of fruit flies, the available information on their diversity and abundance is still relatively scant for Brazil, where most systematic parasitoid surveys are restricted to a few locations in the southern and southeastern regions (Canal & Zucchi 2000; Guimaraes et al. 2000; Uchoa-Fernandes et al. 2003). There is a considerable gap in these surveys, especially in the northeastern region, which is responsible for significant fruit production in Brazil (Canal & Zucchi 2000; Goncalves et al. 2006). In the state of Bahia, previous studies have focused on the eastern region, Reconcavo Baiano (between 38[degrees]30' and 40[degrees]09'S latitude and 12[degrees]18' and 13[degrees]36'W longitude), approximately 500 km to the north of the current study site (Matrangolo et al. 1998; Canal & Zucchi 2000, for review; Carvalho 2005; Goncalves et al. 2006).