LABORATORY EVALUATION OF DIETS OF PROCESSED CORNCOB, TORULA YEAST, AND WHEAT-GERM ON 4 DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF MEDITERRANEAN FRUIT-FLY (DIPTERA, TEPHRITIDAE)

Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), larvae were r eared on five diets (wheat millfeed [standard], processed corncob [PCC ] + torula yeast, PCC + torula yeast + 1% wheat germ [WG], PCC + torul a yeast + 3% WG, and PCC + torula yeast + 6% WG) through five consecut ive generations to obtain measurements of the following five life hist ory traits: duration of larval development, pupal recovery, pupal weig ht, adult fecundity, and egg fertility. The PCC + torula yeast diets p roduced insects with shorter larval developmental times and higher pup al recovery than the standard millfeed diet. In contrast, the millfeed diet produced the highest pupal weight and adult fecundity. PCC diets fortified with wheat germ produced Mediterranean fruit flies with the highest egg fertility. These results suggest that PCC/wheat germ diet s produce Mediterranean fruit flies of comparable quality to those com monly used in sterile insect programs.