Protein Products for Rearing Three Species of Larval Tephritidae13

Abstract

Diets formulated with torula yeast type 200 (standard), cottonseed protein, soybean protein, Saccharomyces fragilis Jorgenson (yeast) combined with whey protein, and torula yeast type B, and a fluid larval medium (cottonseed + torula yeast) were all nutritionally and physically adequate, as determined by regression analysis, for rearing the melon fly, Dacus cucurbitae Coquillett, and the oriental fruit fly, D. dorsalis Hendel. However, only diets formulated with protein from yeast products, i.e., torula yeast and S. fragilis , were adequate for rearing the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann). Diet formulated with marine protein concentrate was inadequate for all 3 species. Data showing the number of pupae per liter of diet, the number of pupae per 100 neonate larvae, and the number of emerging adults for diets that had a signficant negative linear regression between weight per pupa and number of pupae per liter of diet indicated that S. fragilis yeast provided consistently high yields of the 3 species and should be tested in opentray mass rearing.