Abstract
Fly-to-fly transmission of conidia of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae and the effect of fungal infection on the reproductive potential of females surviving infection were investigated in three fruit fly species, Ceratitis cosyra, C. fasciventris, and C. capitata. The number of conidia picked up by a single fruit fly was determined in C. cosyra. The initial uptake (Day 0) of conidia by a single fly was approx. 1.1 × 106 conidia after exposure to the treated substrate. However, the number of conidia dropped from 7.2 × 105 to 4.1 × 105 conidia after 2 and 8 h post-exposure, respectively. The number of conidia picked up by a single fungus-treated fly (“donor”) varied between 3.8 × 105 and 1.0 × 106 in the three fruit fly species, resulting in 100% mortality 5–6 days post-exposure. When fungus-free flies of both sexes (“recipient” flies) were allowed to mate with “donor” flies, the number of conidia picked up by a single fly varied between 1.0 × 105 and 2.5 × 105, resulting in a mortality of 83–100% in C. capitata, 72–85% in C. cosyra and 71–93% in C. fasciventris 10–15 days post-inoculation. There was an effect of fungal infection on female egg laying in the three species of fruit flies as control flies laid more eggs than fungus-treated females. The percentage reduction in fecundity in flies infected with M. anisopliae was 82, 73 and 37% in C. capitata, C. fasciventris and C. cosyra, respectively. The results are discussed with regard to application in autodissemination techniques.
Highlights
Several fruit fly species including Ceratitis cosyra (Walker), C. fasciventris (Bezzi), C. rosa (Karsch), C. anonae, C. capitata Weid. and Bactrocera invadens Drew Tsuruta and White (Diptera: Tephritidae), constitute a major constraint to mango production in Africa [1,2]
In many sub-Saharan Africa countries, there are no baits registered for fruit fly control and the majority of the farmers affected by fruit infestation practice broad-spectrum application of chemical insecticides, which often leads to fruit contamination and rejection by the export markets
In the present study we investigate whether fungus-treated adult fruit flies can transfer conidia to fungus-free flies during mating and contact, and the effects of fungal infection on fecundity in females of three fruit fly species, C. cosyra, C. fasciventris and C. capitata
Summary
Several fruit fly species including Ceratitis cosyra (Walker), C. fasciventris (Bezzi), C. rosa (Karsch), C. anonae, C. capitata Weid. and Bactrocera invadens Drew Tsuruta and White (Diptera: Tephritidae), constitute a major constraint to mango production in Africa [1,2]. Adult flies that are attracted to the device are contaminated with fungal conidia before they return to the environment where they can disseminate entomopathogens among wild populations [6,8]. Fundamental to the latter approach is the efficient horizontal transmission of the pathogen among individuals within fly populations. In the present study we investigate whether fungus-treated adult fruit flies can transfer conidia to fungus-free flies during mating and contact, and the effects of fungal infection on fecundity in females of three fruit fly species, C. cosyra, C. fasciventris and C. capitata
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