MATING-INDUCED CHANGES IN OLFACTORY-MEDIATED BEHAVIOR OF LABORATORY-REARED NORMAL, STERILE, AND WILD FEMALE MEDITERRANEAN FRUIT-FLIES (DIPTERA, TEPHRITIDAE) MATED TO CONSPECIFIC MALES

Laboratory-reared normal, sterile, and wild female Mediterranean fruit flies, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), were mated with laboratory-rea red normal, sterile, and wild male flies to assess the ability of male s to alter olfactory-mediated behavioral responses of females to male- produced pheromone or host fruit odor. Virgin females of all 3 types s howed a preferential attraction and arrestment on yellow spheres emitt ing male-produced pheromone in a laboratory night tunnel. Laboratory-r eared normal and wild females mated to laboratory-reared normal, steri le, or wild males switched their behavior showing strong preferential attraction to, arrestment on, and egg-laying in (for laboratory-reared females) yellow spheres emitting host fruit odor (guava) over male-pr oduced pheromone. Sterile females did not show a significant switch in behavior except when mated to sterile males. The olfactory-mediated b ehavioral switch was most evident in the laboratory-reared normal fema le x laboratory-reared normal male mating. These Endings suggest that irradiation of males inducing gamete sterility does not affect the fac tor(s) from the male accessory gland associated with altering female o lfactory behavior. The ability of sterile males to alter adequately ol factory-mediated behavior of wild females is discussed in the contest of the sterile insect technique for control of Mediterranean fruit fli es in the field.