Influencia de la altitud en la distribución de especies y hospederos de moscas de la fruta en la parroquia Principal, cantón Chordeleg – Azuay (fase 1)

Abstract

The Main Parish is home to a diverse range of fruit trees, but many of them are affected by the fruit fly, a highly adaptable pest that thrives when it finds suitable hosts and favorable climatic conditions. This study aimed to explore how altitude influences the distribution of fruit fly species and their host plants. To achieve this, researchers used a completely randomized block design with stratified sampling across five different altitude levels (2500, 2600, 2700, 2800, and 2900 m.s.n.m.). The analysis, based on a linear model, examined the relationship between altitude and the fruit fly species present. The study identified four species: Anastrepha fraterculus Wied., Anastrepha distincta Greene, Anastrepha atrox Aldrich, and Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann, with a total of 1,814 individuals captured in traps. Among them, Anastrepha distincta Greene was the most abundant. The results revealed statistically significant differences between the lowest and highest altitudes studied (2500 and 2900 m.s.n.m.), with the highest number of fruit flies captured at 2500 m.s.n.m. In contrast, no statistically significant differences were observed among the intermediate altitudes (2600, 2700, and 2800 m.s.n.m.). Regarding host plants, the study found that Juglans neotropica D., Prunus persica L., Malus domestica B., and Annona cherimola M. were the preferred species for oviposition by A. fraterculus W. and A. distincta G. in the study area. In conclusion, these findings confirm that altitude plays a key role in the distribution of fruit flies.