Species‐specific enhancement of oviposition of female oriental fruit flies, melon flies, and mediterranean fruit flies when mated with normal males or with males sexually sterilized by tepa or gamma irradiation

Abstract

Abstract Laboratory‐reared virgin females of 3 species of Tephritidae oviposited significantly fewer eggs than similar previously mated females. Melon flies, Dacus cucurbitae Coquillett, were most affected (3.0X more eggs for mated females), and Mediterranean fruit flies, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), were least affected; oriental fruit flies, D. dorsalis Hendel, were in between. Numbers of eggs laid by females mated with males treated either with tepa in drinking water or with gamma irradiation were not significantly different from those laid by females mated with untreated males. Thus, mating per se was important in enhancing oviposition regardless of the fertility of the males.