Relation of Sexual Dimorphism in the Wings, Potential Stridulation, and Illumination to Mating of Oriental Fruit Flies1, Melon Flies1, and Mediterranean Fruit Flies1 in Hawaii3

Abstract

The wings of male oriental fruit flies, Dacus dorsalis Hendel; melon flies, D. cucurbitac Coquillett; and Mediterranean fruit flies, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), all have deeper and more sharply incised wing margins at the distal tip of Cu1+1A than the females. However, the difference is most evident in melon flies and least evident in Mediterranean fruit flies. In addition, the male Mediterranean fruit fly has an emargination at the terminus of M3+M4 that is not found in the female. Any supposed mating call of male oriental fruit flies or melon flies resulting from stridulation of the wings on the abdominal cilia (or produced in any other manner) was not necessary for mating and insemination, judged from the percentages of egg hatch for females paired in an ambient laboratory environment with males with the wings removed. Male Mediterranean fruit flies do not have abdominal cilia.