ORIGINAL PAPER Population dynamics of Dasiops inedulis (Diptera: Lonchaeidae) and its biotic and abiotic mortality factors in Colombian sweet passionfruit orchards Diego A. Carrero • Daniel Melo • Sandra Uribe • Kris A. G. Wyckhuys Received: 4 January 2013 / Accepted: 1 March 2013 Ó Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013 Abstract Throughout South America, the lonchaeid flies Dasiops spp. are important herbivores of passionfruit crops. However, little is known on the biology and ecology of these insects, resulting in inadequate pest management schemes. In this study, we describe Dasiops inedulis pop- ulation dynamics in Colombian sweet passionfruit (SP; Passiflora ligularis Juss.) and elucidate biotic mortality factors at different fly developmental stages. From August 2009 to July 2010, D. inedulis and Dasiops spp. abundance was assessed through monthly McPhail bait trapping and collection of SP flower buds, flowers, and immature fruits. Mortality levels of D. inedulis were determined for early instar larvae by ovary dissection and for late-instar larvae or pupae by prey removal trials. Maximum infestation reached 80 % in fruits and flower buds, and bud infestation correlated with precipitation during the previous month. Two days after oviposition, 8.2 ± 2.3 (mean ± SD) Dasiops sp. eggs were found in SP ovaries and 4.4 ± 1.2 late-instar larvae were recovered from immature fruits at day 14. Upon larval drop on the orchard soil, 74.8 % larvae burrowed within the soil within 9 min, while 12.5 % larvae were attacked by ants. In-field mortality of young pupae amounted to 75.3 ± 7.0 %, with vertebrate predators likely causing 12.1 ± 6.0 % mortality. Late-instar larvae and pupae appear highly vulnerable to natural enemy action, with the ground-foraging predator community mainly composed of ants (80.37 %) and ground beetles (9.17 %). Our findings should help develop integrated pest manage- ment (IPM) tactics for SP crops. Keywords Biological control Á Tephritoidea Á Tropical fruits Á Small-scale agriculture Á Lance flies Introduction In several parts of the Neotropics, different members of the genus Passiflora have gotten domesticated over time and their fruit is gradually finding its way into mainstream markets, with current world annual production levels amounting to [ 500,000 metric tons (Ocampo 2007). Sweet passionfruit (SP; Passiflora ligularis Juss.) is cultivated year-round by small-scale farmers in Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador (Asturizaga et al. 2006). Despite the impor- tance of this crop in many rural areas, little or no research has been conducted on biology, ecology, and control of arthropod pests. Lack of reliable information on those aspects is actually reflected in rampant use of insecticides, with the majority of SP growers relying on weekly or bi-weekly insecticide sprays (Wyckhuys et al. 2011). Aside from constituting a substantial cost component for many resource-poor farmers, these practices are likely to affect the environment, consumer and farmer health alike. A key herbivore in Colombian SP crops is Dasiops inedulis Steyskal, 1980 (Diptera: Lonchaeidae), while orchards are also occasionally infested by other lance flies Communicated by M. Traugott. D. A. Carrero Universidad de Pamplona, Pamplona, Colombia D. Melo Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota ´, Colombia S. Uribe Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellı ´n, Colombia K. A. G. Wyckhuys (&) International Center for Tropical Agriculture, CIAT, Apartado Ae ´reo 6713 Cali, Colombia e-mail: kwyckhuys@hotmail.com; k.wyckhuys@cgiar.org 123 J Pest Sci DOI 10.1007/s10340-013-0487-9