JH treatment on Anastrepha fraterculus (Diptera: Tephritidae): effect of irradiation and protein content in the adult diet on JH treated males and mass deliver of JH

D.F. SEGURA; M.C. LIENDO; F. DEVESCOVI; G. BACHMANN; M.E. UTGÉS; F.H. MILLA; M.T. VERA; P.E.A. TEAL; J.L. CLADERA

Mazatlán, México

Congreso; 7th Meeting of the Working Group on Fruit Flies from the Western Hemisphere; 2008

Sexual maturation in A. fraterculus males is a long process that can be shortened by the topical application of methoprene (a juvenile hormone analog). We analyzed here the effect of methoprene on irradiated males to discard any negative interaction between gamma radiation and the JH treatment. In addition, given that the ingestion of protein at adult stage increases males’ sexual competitiveness in other tephritid species (including some Anastrepha), we addressed the effect of different protein sources on JH treated and untreated males. In order to find a method to deliver the methoprene in a fast, safe and simple way that could be transferred for its use in mass rearing facilities, we explored two methods: 1) include the methoprene into the adult diet and 2) submerge the pupae into a solution containing methoprene. We found that hormonal treatment accelerated maturation irrespectively of the fact that the males had been irradiated or not. This supports the use of methoprene as a pre-release treatment on sterile males. Protein fed males that were treated with methoprene reached sexual maturity earlier than males that were treated and fed only with sugar, or males that were fed with sugar and protein but did not receive methoprene treatment. However, some variation existed among protein sources in the capacity to accelerate maturation. Finally, we found that the two methods tested to mass deliver JH allowed the males to mature faster than untreated males. Males that were dip in a methoprene solution during the pupal stage showed a higher response to the treatment than males fed with a diet enriched with methoprene. Given the environmental problems associated with the disposal of adult diet containing methoprene, pupae dipping seems the more promising method to massively deliver methoprene to large amounts of flies.