EFFECTS OF ADULT DIET ON LONGEVITY OF UROPHORA-AFFINIS AND U-QUADRIFASCIATA (DIPTERA, TEPHRITIDAE)

Adult diet significantly affected the longevity of Urophora affinis Fr auenfeld and Urophora quadrifasciata Meigen. A diet of undiluted honey supplemented with free water was the most favorable, with both specie s living for almost-equal-to 30 d. Flies lived from 12 to 14 d on a ho ney + yeast hydrolysate (1: 1) solution and almost-equal-to 8 to 10 d on distilled water alone. Flies provided with a yeast hydrolysate + wa ter solution lived 6.2 d, which was not significantly different from l ongevity of flies provided with neither food nor water (5.6 d). When t he yeast hydrolysate concentration was reduced, fly longevity increase d. In diet choice preference tests, a significant preference for honey was demonstrated for both fly species when compared with a water + ye ast hydrolysate (1: 1) solution and a water + honey + yeast solution ( 1:1:1). Similar results were obtained with diets containing more dilut e concentrations of yeast.