Local enhancement of arrivals of Ceratitis capitata females on fruit mimics

Abstract

Mature female Mediterranean fruit flies, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), isolated from conspecifics for 7 days prior to testing in laboratory cages, were attracted to yellow plastic fruit-mimicking hemispheres or spheres in significantly greater numbers when groups of conspecific females were present than absent on fruit mimics. Attraction of females to conspecifics occurred for females deprived of protein or continuously provided with protein since eclosion, for fruit mimics that were unbaited or baited with odor of food or fruit, and under single-choice as well as multiple-choice test conditions. Attraction proved just as great to fruit mimics having dead conspecifics as to mimics having live conspecifics, was evident also when fruit mimics were orange or white, and occurred also in response to presence of live Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) females on fruit mimics. We discuss our findings in relation to local enhancement, a form of social facilitation in insects and other animals.