Dicerataspis

Hosts: Species of this genus have been reared from a variety of fruits in association with several different species of the tephritid genus Anastrepha as well as with one species of Rhagoletis. Dicerataspis spp. are known from Rhagoletis turpiniae in Mexico (Hernandez-Ortiz 1993). Although often reported as parasitoids of Anastrepha, precise associations have rarely if ever been made, with almost all such records being from Drosophilidae rather than Tephritidae. A possible exception is the record by Guimaraes (1998), who reported Dicerataspis flavipes (Kieffer) from Anastrepha amita Zucchi.

The small size of the species of Dicerataspis and their development as solitary parasitoids, further suggest that normal hosts are likely to be drosophilids or other small Diptera in fruit, rather than tephritids. Parasitism of Anastrepha or other tephritids needs verification. In experimental and field studies in Brazil D. grenadensis was attracted to volatiles emitted by drosophilid larvae in rotting guava, using its ovipositor for host search and localization (Guimarães and Zucchi 2004).

Distribution: Mexico and Florida south through the Caribbean to Brazil and Argentina (Weld 1921, 1952, Diaz 1974,Guimaraes 1998).

Most of the reared material has been tentatively associated with the name D. grenadensis Ashmead, but at least two species have been reared from fruit in the Neotropical Region. A revision of the genus is needed before species names can be assigned with any degree of confidence.

For a key to genera and additional information on eucoilines, see the Eucoilinae page.