ABSTRACT Two exotic fruit flies species, Zaprionus indianus Gupta and Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura), were detected in Argentina in recent years. In this note, the southernmost detection of Z indianus in Argentina and an estimation of the field infestation level caused by both drosophilid species on figs (Ficus carica L.) and raspberries (Rubus idaeus L.) are reported.

RESUMEN En los últimos años se han detectado en Argentina dos especies exóticas de drosofílidos, Zaprionus indianus Gupta y Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura). En esta nota se reporta la detección más austral de Z indianus en Argentina y se estima el nivel de infestación a campo causado por ambas especies de drosofílidos en higos (Ficus carica L.) y frambuesas (Rubus idaeus L.).

The tomato moth, Tuta absoluta Meyrick, is one of the most important tomato pests in South America. In Argentina, management strategies include only chemical control. In this work, the parasitoid wasp Trichogrammatoidea bactrae Nagaraja was evaluated as a potential natural enemy against this pest. Biological and population parameters were estimated by developing a life table under laboratory conditions at 25 ± 1ºC, 14:10 photoperiod and 60 ± 10% RH. Three cohorts of 26-30 T. bactrae females each were placed with one of the three following treatments: 1 - Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier) eggs on a piece of cardboard; 2 - S. cerealella eggs on a piece of tomato leaf, and 3- T. absoluta eggs on a piece on tomato leaf. The following parameters were estimated for each cohort: survival (egg to adult), longevity, fecundity and oviposition period of females, sex proportion of the F1, net rate of reproduction (Ro), mean generation time (T) and intrinsic rate of population increase (r m). Survival of the T. bactrae immatures was higher than 90% on both, S. cerealella and T. absoluta eggs. The female survival curves corresponded to type III and showed no significant differences among treatments. The three cohorts did not show significant differences between sex ratio, female longevity, oviposition period, fecundity and the population parameters studied. These results indicate that T. bactrae would be a potential biological control agent of T. absoluta.