# Fruit fly species (Diptera: Tephritidae) associated with fruit orchards in the province of Luya, Amazonas, Peru

## TL;DR

This study identifies nine fruit fly species in Peruvian orchards and highlights their host preferences, revealing new geographic records for these species.

## Contribution

The first records of nine Tephritidae species in the Amazonas region of Peru, using integrative morphological and molecular identification methods.

## Key findings

- Nine fruit fly species were identified, including eight from the genus Anastrepha and one from Ceratitis.
- Psidium guajava and Campomanesia liniatifolia were the most preferred host fruits.
- This study expands the known geographical distribution of these species in Peru.

## Abstract

In the province of Luya, the presence of fruit flies (Tephritidae) in fruit orchards causes significant losses to the family economy. This study aimed to identify, using morphological and molecular methods, the Tephritidae species associated with fruit hosts and to evaluate host preference. Fruits were collected from orchards at different geographic points in the province of Luya; these fruits were transferred to the laboratory under controlled conditions and placed in plastic containers on sterilized soil to favor pupation. When adults emerged, they were fed with sucrose. For morphological identification, adult females were used and pictorial keys were employed, while for molecular analysis, the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (Cox1) region was amplified using the primers LCO1490/HCO2198 and LepF1/LepR1. After identification, fruit fly preference for specific fruit species was evaluated by associating the identified species with the fruits from which they emerged. Nine fruit fly species were identified, corresponding to eight species of the genus Anastrepha (Anastrepha fraterculus, A. obliqua, A. striata, A. distincta, A. grandis, A. ornata, A. leptozona, and A. nolazcoae) and one species of the genus Ceratitis (Ceratitis capitata), associated with 19 hosts from 11 botanical families. The fruits with the highest preference were Psidium guajava and Campomanesia liniatifolia. These results highlight the richness of Tephritidae in the province of Luya and represent the first records of these nine species for the Amazonas region, expanding their geographical distribution in Peru, emphasizing the utility of integrative approaches for reliable taxonomic identification.