Sexual Development and Mating Response of Laboratory-Reared and Native Mediterranean Fruit Flies1,2

Abstract

In the laboratory, 100% of the laboratory-reared female Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) were mated by the 4th day postemergence, whereas only 65% of females of the native strain were mated 10 days postemergence. Also, in field cage tests, twice as many unirradiated laboratory-reared flies as native flies mated; however, when the laboratory flies were irradiated and dyed, mating response of the 2 strains did not differ. Mating of the unirradiated laboratory-reared flies peaked 1 h after sunrise; but mating of the irradiated laboratoryreared flies peaked later in the day, so their response was similar to that of the native flies.