Precocious sexual signalling and mating in Anastrepha fraterculus (Diptera: Tephritidae) sterile males achieved through juvenile hormone treatment and protein supplements

M.C. LIENDO; F. DEVESCOVI; G.E. BACHMANN; M.E. UTGÉS; S. ABRAHAM; M.T. VERA; S.B. LANZAVECCHIA; J.P. BOUVET; P.G. CENDRA; J. HENDRICHS; P.E.A. TEAL; J. L. CLADERA; D.F. SEGURA

BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH

CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS

Lugar: Cambridge; Año: 2012 vol. 103 p. 1 - 13

0007-4853

Sexual maturation of Anastrepha fraterculus is a long process, which creates anadditional cost to the management of this fruit pest through the sterile insect technique(SIT). Methoprene (a mimic of juvenile hormone) considerably reduces the time forsexual maturation in males. However, in other Anastrepha species, this effect dependson protein intake at the adult stage. Here, we evaluated the mating competitiveness ofsterile laboratory males and females that were treated with methoprene (either at pupalor adult stage) and were kept under different regimes of adult food, which varied in theprotein source and the sugar:protein ratio. Experiments were carried out under seminaturalconditions, where laboratory flies competed for mating with wild sexuallymature flies. Sterile, methoprene treated males that reached sexual maturity earlier (6 days-old), displayed the same lekking behaviour, attractiveness to females and matingcompetitiveness as mature wild males. Yet, this effect depended on protein intake.Diets containing sugar and hydrolyzed yeast allowed sterile males to compete with wildmales (even at a low concentration of protein) while brewer´s yeast failed to do so evenat a higher concentration. Sugar only fed males were unable to achieve significantnumbers of matings. Methoprene did not increased readiness to mate on 6-days-oldsterile females. These findings suggest that methoprene treatment will increase SITeffectiveness against A. fraterculus only if it is coupled with a diet fortified with protein.Additionally, methoprene acts as a physiological sexing method, allowing the releaseof mature males and immature females and hence increasing SIT efficiency.