Moscas das frutas (Diptera: Tephritidae) em uma unidade de conservação do Paraguai: diversidade de espécies e padrões populacionais

Abstract

Tephritidae comprises a very large group of phytophagous flies, and in particular frugivorous flies, with about 5000 described species distributed in approximately 500 genera. Fruit flies have been intensively studied in the world because of their economic importance, especially in countries with intense agricultural activity. However, studies related to the occurrence of these species in conservation areas are scarce. Although there is a large record of occurrence of species of fruit flies in the American continent, especially of the genus Anastrepha in South America, there is little research related to the registration of species of Tephritidae in Paraguay. The Parque Nacional Cerro Corá (PNCC), a conservation unit in Paraguay, comprises natural terrestrial communities represented by the Cerrado, Cerradão, Subtropical Semideciduous Dense Forest, Semideciduous Subtropical Average Forest, Dams, Gallery Forests, Pastures, Cliffs, Riparian Forests, Streams and Rivers. The PNCC is located in the Department of Amambay, 450 km from the city of Asunción and 40 km from the provincial capital Pedro Juan Caballero, whose geographic coordinates are 22 ° 39'15 "S and 56 ° 00'26" W, it covers an area of 5,538 hectares. This original research presents, in Chapter 1, an inventory of species of fruit flies. In Chapter 2, a faunal analysis and population fluctuation of the sampled community were carried out with traps McPhail models with attractive food for two years in Parque Nacional Cerro Corá. 18 species of Anastrepha Schiner 1868 were obtained, of which five species correspond to new records for Paraguay: A. barnesi, A. nr. concava, A. leptozona, A. matogrossensis and A. zenildae. The most abundant and frequent species were A. sororcula and A. fraterculus, and the highest population densities occurred in May and June, with a peak in July, corresponding to the seasonal winter season. This research contributes to the knowledge of the diversity and geographic distribution of species of fruit flies, which are so economically important for fruit and vegetable activities in Paraguay. In addition, this is the first research on fruit flies in a Conservation Unit in Paraguay.