Effect of fruit volatiles from native host plants on the sexual performance of Anastrepha fraterculus males

BACHMANN GUILLERMO; DEVESCOVI F; BELLIARD, SILVINA A.; NUSSENBAUM, ANA L; FERNANDEZ, PATRICIA; DF SEGURA

Congreso; 11th INTERNATIONAL sYMPOSIUM ON FRUTI FLIES OF ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE; 2022

Background: The SIT requires good quality of sterile males to compete against wild onesfertile males. The South American fruit fly, Anastrepha fraterculus, is one of the main fruit fly pests in the region is well known due to the orchards damage and together with Ceratitis capitata cause big significant economic losses in the region. It is known A. nastrepha fraterculus males increase their sexual perform after exposition to the volatiles of Psidium guajava, one of the most important native host for this species fruit volatile . and Schinus polygama and Citrus limon essential oils. However, there are still many fruits that must be studied in this sense to be applied to the SIT. Here we analyzeanalyse the effects of fruit volatile of other native host plants on male sexual performance. We used exclusively native host because the male sexual improvement could be associated to a plants-insect evolutionary history. Methods: Four native plant were evaluated: Hexachlamys edulis (ubajay), Juglans australis (nogal criollo), Psidium cattleianum (arazá rojo), and Acca sellowiana (falso guayabo). Furthermore, P. guajava (guava) was used as positive control. After emergence of flies, groups of 30 males were placed in 3 L glass containers with food (sugar and brewers yeast, 3:1) and water, and kept in chambers with controlled environmental conditions (25ºC, 12 h of light). During exposure, 10 small pieces (ca., 1 g each) of the evaluated fruit were placed in 20 mL containers that were covered with a mesh to prevent the males contact. This container was placed into the containers with males during four hours (12:00 pm– 4:00 pm) from day 8 to day 11 post emergence. Control males were not exposed and maintained in separated chambers. Females were maintained in similar conditions, without exposition. At day 12 post emergence, males were evaluated in two experiments: calling behaviour tests (in which the frequency of fanning and exposition of salivary glands was recorded), and sexual success test (each exposed male competed against other non-exposed male for the access to a female in small mating arenas-1L container -).Results: In agreement with previous works, P. guajava enhanced calling behaviour and mating success of males. Although it was not as strong as P. guajava, P. cattleianum also enhanced these parameters. The other native fruits showed not trends to improve calling behaviour or mating success of males. Conclusion: Only one of the four native host fruits tested here positively affected calling behavior and mating success in A. fraterculus males. Interestigly, the two that induced this increased competitiveness belong to the genus Psidium. Volatile analysis of these fruits is planned to identify the compounds responsible of this phenomenon. These results can be used to support the SIT against A. fraterculus.