Spatial and Temporal Biodiversity Patterns of Frugivorous Tephritid Communities across Argentinean Drylands

Abstract

Frugivorous fruit flies include several major agricultural pests, and understanding their species composition and seasonal abundance in natural environments is essential for improving management strategies. In Argentina, research has focused mainly on two economically important species, Ceratitis capitata and Anastrepha fraterculus, while native fruit flies in dryland ecosystems remain poorly studied. To address this gap, we conducted a year long trapping survey in three dryland environments of northwestern Argentina: Dry Chaco, Chaco Montane Forest, and Monte, to characterize and compare community composition, diversity, species abundance, and temporal dynamics. We collected 1006 individuals representing seven native species and one exotic species. Community composition differed significantly among environments, showing strong spatial segregation. The native genus Rhagoletotrypeta dominated the overall catch and exhibited clear habitat preferences, with R. xanthogastra prevailing in Dry Chaco and R. pastranai and R. parallela more abundant in Monte and Chaco Montane Forest, respectively. The invasive A. fraterculus was the second most abundant species and the dominant species in Monte and Chaco Montane Forest, whereas C. capitata represented only a small fraction of the total catch. Fruit fly abundance peaked in late summer and autumn. These findings reveal strong habitat driven structuring of fruit fly communities in drylands and provide ecological information relevant for improving pest management strategies in the region.