First Record of Zaprionus tuberculatus Malloch, 1932 (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract

The Afrotropical Zaprionus Coquillett, 1902 (Diptera: Drosophilidae) has gained visibility since the 1990s due to the geographic expansion of Zaprionus indianus Gupta, 1970. More recently, a second species, Zaprionus tuberculatus Malloch, 1932, invaded regions outside its original African regions, causing economic concerns, particularly in Europe. In 2021, Z. tuberculatus was captured for the first time in the Americas, specifically in urban parks, and preserved fragments of the Brazilian Cerrado, causing concerns about the competition with native drosophilids. Here we report the occurrence of Z. tuberculatus 900 km from its first record in urban and rural areas of Viçosa, MG, but not in forest fragments. Considering the great capacity for dispersion and the potential of Z. tuberculatus to compete with native drosophilids species, as well as the potential harm to fruit production when co-occurring with Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura, 1931), further studies would be necessary to monitor this invasion and create mechanisms to control it.