Abstract
Members of the Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel (Diptera: Tephritidae) complex constitute well-recognized destructive pests of fruits in peninsular Thailand. The development and survival of immature stages of the carambola fruit fly, Bactrocera carambolae Drew & Hancock, and the Asian papaya fruit fly, Bactrocera papayae Drew & Hancock, were compared at six constant temperatures of 15, 20, 25, 27, 30, and 35°C, 70 ± 5% relative humidity, and a photoperiod of 12:12 (L:D). The objectives were to determine the effect of temperature on the developmental stages for optimizing rearing and to understand the geographical pattern of occurrence of these fruit fly species. A strong and positive linear relationship was observed between temperature and developmental rate of immature stages of B. carambolae. Similarly, a strong and positive linear relationship was observed between temperature and developmental rate of B. papayae. A temperature summation model was used to estimate the lower threshold temperature and the thermal constant. Bactrocera papayae was significantly faster in development and higher in survival and appeared to be better adapted to low temperatures than B. carambolae, as it exhibited the lowest threshold temperatures at all immature stages. The observed differences in response to various temperatures revealed to some extent the impact of temperature on these species’ distribution in peninsular Thailand and other parts of the world.
Highlights
The genus Bactrocera Macquart (Diptera: Tephritidae) is recognized worldwide for its destructive impact on agriculture
Relationship between temperature and developmental rate in B. carambolae and B. papaya A linear regression model was used to establish the relationship between temperature and developmental rate in immature stages of B. carambolae and B. papayae over the range from 15–30°C (Figs. 1 and 2)
The linear model was used in this research to describe the relationship between temperature and developmental rate because most temperatures under examination were within the linear part of development
Summary
The genus Bactrocera Macquart (Diptera: Tephritidae) is recognized worldwide for its destructive impact on agriculture. Besides causing billions of dollars in direct losses to a wide variety of fruit, vegetables, and flower crops (e.g., citrus, apple, mango, sunflower), which limits the development of agriculture in many countries due to reduction in farm income, it leads to overuse of pesticides. Growers and governments face rising costs as they attempt to meet demands for food. Pest-free or low-pest density zones are being advocated worldwide for fruit exports with minimal or zero quarantine restrictions (Carroll et al 2004, FAO 2006). The damage, if uncontrolled, may result in a total loss of the crop in question (Yong et al 2010). The genus Bactrocera is known to be largely endemic to Asia and the Pacific. Among the serious pest species, several are indigenous to peninsular Thailand and Malaysia and are members of the Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel complex, including B. dorsalis sensu stricto Hendel, Bactrocera carambolae Drew & Hancock, Bactrocera papayae Drew & Hancock, and the cucurbit feeders Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillet) and Bactrocera tau (Walker) (Drew and Hancock 1994, Clarke et al 2001)
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