Translocation-Based Genetic Sexing System for the Oriental Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) Based on Pupal Color Dimorphism

Abstract

The autosomal recessive white puparium (wp) mutant was used to construct the first genetic sex sorting system in the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel). The translocation stocks have females with the white puparium phenotype and puparia of males are the wild-type color, brown. Viability measurements of the 49-wp translocation strain indicate that fitness relative to the wild-type and white puparium strains was not lower than expected. Hatch rate and larval viability were lower for the translocation strain, but there were no significant differences between strains for eclosion rates. This translocation-based sex sorting system is the only automatic method currently available for separation of male and female oriental fruit flies in sterile insect release programs.