INFLUENCE OF ADULT DIET ON THE MATING SUCCESS AND SURVIVAL OF MALE MEDITERRANEAN FRUIT FLIES (DIPTERA: TEPHRITIDAE) FROM TWO MASS-REARING STRAINS ON FIELD-CAGED HOST TREES

Abstract

Using field-caged host trees, this study investigated the influence of adult diet on the mating success and survival of male Mediterranean fruit flies, Ceratitis capitata (Wied.), from two mass-rearing strains. Upon emergence, males from a genetic sexing (temperature sensitive lethal) strain and a bisexual strain were given either a sugar-protein diet (protein-fed) or a sugar-only diet (protein-deprived). Mating trials were conducted using field-caged host trees, and 100 males of a given strain and diet competed with 100 wild males for matings with 100 wild females (all wild flies were given the sugar-protein diet). There was no apparent effect of diet on male mating success for either mass-reared strain. Wild males obtained significantly more matings per replicate than males from either strain on either diet, and the mean number of matings per replicate was similar between protein-fed and protein-deprived males for both strains. In addition, the survival of protein-fed and protein-deprived males was compared over 2- and 4-day intervals on field-caged host trees. Within each mass-reared strain, there was no apparent effect of adult diet on male survival for either test interval. The present findings are compared with similar studies on other mass-reared strains.