The Parasitoid Complexes of Frugivorous Fruit Flies of Central Europe

Abstract

An intriguing question in biological control is which parasitoid species should be introduced against a certain target species. In classical biocontrol of a) introduced pests and b) native pests there are two different strategies. For the control of the former one usually chooses the most effective parasitoid species from the native range of the host (Greathead, 1986; PschornWalcher, 1977). In the latter one normally uses alien parasitoids from taxonomically related hosts (Carl, 1982). Usually one will investigate the parasitoid complex of a closely related herbivore species in a different region to find a candidate species (Pimentel, 1986; Zwolfer et al., 1977). Yet, for successful introduction it will be crucial to know which parasitoid species will more likely be established on the new host: a parasitoid from a taxonomically related host or a parasitoid from a host that shares important ecological features with the target host.