Invasive species of Drosophilidae surpass neotropical species in larval use of fruit in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest and Caatinga biomes

Invasive alien species (IAS) exert a negative impact on biodiversity by competing with native species for the same trophic resources. Drosophilids are good models for studying biological invasions. Brazil has 14 IAS drosophilids, with four invasions in the last 30 years. These species cause damage to fruit crops and ecosystems. The relationship between drosophilids, especially in immature stages, and the environment is an under-explored field. Such studies are important in assessing the adaptive success of IAS and its impacts on native species. Here we investigate the use of fruits as larval development sites by neotropical drosophilids and IAS in 12 plant species collected from the Atlantic Forest and Caatinga biomes. Approximately 8 kg of fruits were investigated, from which 5,681 drosophilids emerged (nine neotropical species and eight IAS). Invasive drosophilids accounted for more than 90% of the abundance of the hatchings and occupied more types of fruits compared to neotropical dr..., , , # Invasive species of Drosophilidae surpass neotropical species in larval use of fruit in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest and Caatinga biomes

Authors: Tereza Cristina dos Santos Leal Martins, Ana Cristina Lauer Garcia, Martin Alejandro Montes

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The supplemental files contain all the necessary information to support this research.

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* Fig. S1 Map of Brazil (upper left) with the state of Pernambuco in black. The area indicated by the rectangle on the map is magnified in the image on the right, with reference points of sampling of fruits investigated for the emergence of drosophilids.

- Fig. S2 Rarefaction curve for species of drosophilids recorded in fruits of different plant species collected in Atlantic Forest and Caatinga biomes of Northeast Brazil. Dotted line: observed richness; continuous line: richness predicted by rarefaction.