EFFECTS OF IRRADIATION ON THE COURTSHIP BEHAVIOR OF MEDFLY (DIPTERA, TEPHRITIDAE) MASS REARED FOR THE STERILE INSECT TECHNIQUE

By S. Lux, J. Vilardi, P. Liedo, K. Gaggl, G. Calcagno, F. Munyiri, M. T. Vera, F. Manso. 2002

130 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Abstract The effects of routine irradiation of the mass-reared males of the medfly, Ceratitis capitata on their mating performance were re-evaluated. Male courtship behavior was observed and quantified both in laboratory (video recording cages) and field cage conditions. For the experiments, samples of the strains routinely mass-reared for SIT operations at Seibersdorf, Austria; Mendoza, Argentina and Metapa, Mexico, were used. No major qualitative differences were found in the courtship pattern between irradiated and non-irradiated males. However, the results revealed that the process of routine irradiation as commonly used in the mass rearing facilities at the time of the experiments, reduces the mating performance of the sterilized males nearly two-fold. A whole range of quantitative differences between the irradiated and non-irradiated males were detected and described, and their implications for the efficiency of SIT operations are discussed. In contrast, partial sterilization with low doses of radiation did not affect the mating competitiveness of the treated males to a noticeable degree. In view of the results obtained, and due to the current wider use of “male-only” strains in SIT operations, a re-evaluation of the sterilization strategy and irradiation doses for males used in SIT is recommended.

Subfields: Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Insect Science

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/7fbb3c44ce66272b0c25084e4cdcb8bd67ab5f72

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In Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

In Insect Science

Citations in the corpus

Mass rearing and sterile insect releases for the control of Anastrepha spp. pests in Mexico – a review (2017, background): “This competitive capacity can be significantly reduced by the processes of mass rearing, sterilization, and aerial releases (Moreno et al., 1991; Cayol, 2000; Lux et al., 2002; Rull et al., 2005, 2012).”
Managing invasive crayfish: is there a hope? (2011, background): “Risks of the treatment include a reduced competitiveness of males and thus their inability to mate in the presence of wild males, a decreased lifespan, and an affected female choice (Lance et al. 2000; Lux et al. 2002).”
Effects of irradiation dose rate on quality and sterility of Queensland fruit flies, Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) (2008, background): “For some tephritid species, irradiation has been reported to have deleterious effects on quality and competitiveness of mass-reared flies used in SIT (e.g., Ceratitis capitata Lux et al. 2002; Barry et al. 2003; Anastrepha obliqua Toledo et al. 2004; Anastrepha ludens Rull et al. 2007).”
Female mating failure and the failure of ‘mating’ in sterile insect programs (2013, background): “However, to date there is no consensus for what courtship components may determine a positive female response to a male (Lux et al., 2002a).”