Gary Steck1 1Florida Department of Agriculture, Division of Plant Industry, USA Abstract: Recently obtained funding for a U.S. Farm Bill project entitled "Enhancement of fruit fly immature stage identification and taxonomy" has enabled the principal investigators to undertake extensive field work in South and Central America to acquire larval and adult stages of numerous species for morphological and molecular studies. Anastrepha We made two trips to Peru (November 2012 and January-February 2013) and made collections in Departmento Cusco where the fauna is poorly known. Collection Anastrepha efforts were successful at elevations of about 3000 m (), 1100m (Echarate) and 600-800m (Pilcopata). Identification is still on-going, but at least 37 species and 3,000 specimens of adult were collected from traps, larvae were reared to adult stage from 14 Anastrepha different host plants, and a total of approximately 800 larvae have been preserved. Additional collection activities are underway in to extend the geographic range of spp. samples for taxonomic analysis. Anastrepha In Departamento Cusco, is absent or rare at the lower Anastrepha fraterculus s.s. elevations, although at least one undescribed species of the group is present; fraterculus is present, but not dominant at mid-elevations; and it seems to be the only fraterculus species present at high elevations where it is a serious pest of stone fruits. Our preliminary round of collecting yielded too few specimens to establish a fraterculus research colony for more general studies, but we have laid the groundwork for establishing a colony in the near future - hopefully in Seibersdorf. Preliminary DNA sequence data indicates that populations in Departamento A. fraterculus Cusco (Andean highland and Amazonian mid-elevations) are clearly different from the Pacific coastal populations of Peru. DNA sequences from the Cusco populations, as well as those from a mid-elevation population on the eastern slopes of the Andes in Bolivia, match those of widespread populations in Argentina and southern Brazil. fraterculus Volatile chemicals released by Tephritid flies as a tool to understanding species diversity Peter E. A. Teal Chemistry Research Unit, Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, USDA-ARS, 1700 SW 23 Dr., Gainesville, FL. 32604, USA Abstract:
Gary Steck1 1Florida Department of Agriculture, Division of Plant Industry, USA Abstract: Recently obtained funding for a U.S. Farm Bill project entitled "Enhancement of fruit fly immature stage identification and taxonomy" has enabled the principal investigators to undertake extensive field work in South and Central America to acquire larval and adult stages of numerous Anastrepha species for morphological and molecular studies. We made two trips to Peru (November 2012 and January-February 2013) and made collections in Departmento Cusco where the Anastrepha fauna is poorly known. Collection efforts were successful at elevations of about 3000 m (), 1100m (Echarate) and 600-800m (Pilcopata). Identification is still on-going, but at least 37 species and 3,000 specimens of adult Anastrepha were collected from traps, larvae were reared to adult stage from 14 different host plants, and a total of approximately 800 larvae have been preserved. Additional collection activities are underway in to extend the geographic range of Anastrepha spp. samples for taxonomic analysis. In Departamento Cusco, Anastrepha fraterculus s.s. is absent or rare at the lower elevations, although at least one undescribed species of the fraterculus group is present; fraterculus is present, but not dominant at mid-elevations; and it seems to be the only species present at high elevations where it is a serious pest of stone fruits. Our preliminary round of collecting yielded too few fraterculus specimens to establish a research colony for more general studies, but we have laid the groundwork for establishing a colony in the near future - hopefully in Seibersdorf. Preliminary DNA sequence data indicates that A. fraterculus populations in Departamento Cusco (Andean highland and Amazonian mid-elevations) are clearly different from the Pacific coastal populations of Peru. DNA sequences from the Cusco populations, as well as those from a mid-elevation population on the eastern slopes of the Andes in Bolivia, match those of widespread fraterculus populations in Argentina and southern Brazil. Volatile chemicals released by Tephritid flies as a tool to understanding species diversity Peter E. A. Teal Chemistry Research Unit, Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, USDA-ARS, 1700 SW 23 Dr., Gainesville, FL. 32604, USA Abstract:
2013.Abstract%20compilation_3rd%20RCM_Tucuman_final.docx