Mortality of Third-Instar Caribbean Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) Reared at Three Temperatures and Exposed to Hot Water Immersion or Cold Storage

Abstract

Caribbean fruit flies, Anastrepha suspense (Loew), were reared from egg to third instar at 20, 25, or 30 + 0.3°C in a semiartficial diet, carambolas, and guavas, then exposed to hot water immersion (43–46°C) and cold storage (1°C) quarantine treatments. Caribbean fruit flies were more tolerant of heat when reared at higher temperatures than low temperatures inside the range of 20–30°C. Third instars reared on semi artificial diet at 30°Chad significantly less mortality (49.0%) than those reared at 20°C(94.2%) when insects reared at both temperatures were immersed in water at 43°C for 21 min. In tests with large numbers of third instars reared on semi artificial diet, mortality was 100. 99.9909. and 99.926% for larvae reared at 20, 25, and 30°C, respectively, and immersed in water at 43°C for 43 min. Mortality of Caribbean fruit fly larvae reared inside guavas at 20, 25, and 30°C immersed in hot water at 46°C for 25 min was 100, 99.917, and 99.40%, respectively. This information should be considered when heat quarantine treatments and models of Caribbean fruit fly mortality to heat are designed. Rearing temperature (20–30°C) did not affect tolerance to 1°C cold storage.