Project Number: 6615-22000-021-05
Project Type: Nonfunded Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Sep 01, 2005
End Date: Aug 31, 2010

Objective:
Tephritids of the genus Anastrepha are potentially invasive species whose establishment would severely impact the fruit-growing economy of the USA. Knowledge of natural enemies and the development of biological control strategies are necessary to both prepare for eventual invasion and to limit the likelihood of invasion through suppression of populations in neighboring countries.

Approach:
Long term field and laboratory studies will be pursued in order to determine the environmental conditions preferred by both pests and their predators and parasitoids. In addition, sexual, feeding and host-foraging behaviors will be described in order to choose the best candidate natural enemies for conservation, introduction and mass-rearing and inundative release under a variety of conditions.