MATING FREQUENCY OF THE PAPAYA FRUIT-FLY (DIPTERA, TEPHRITIDAE) WITH AND WITHOUT HOST FRUIT

Frequency of mating of female papaya fruit flies, Toxotrypana curvicau da Gerstaecker, was affected by the availability of host fruit for ovi position. Mature females held for 5 days with males in cages in the la boratory without host fruit nearly always mated once. Most mature fema les held in cages for 5 days with both males and immature papaya fruit mated more than once. Remating by females held with fruit occurred oc casionally before oviposition, indicating that an increased propensity to remate may not be due to sperm depletion. Mature males kept for 5 days with females mated up to 10 times (xBAR=5.6+/-0.6).