Relationships between temperature, development and survival of different life stages of the tomato fruit fly, Neoceratitis cyanescens

The development and survival of female Neoceratitis cyanescens (Bezzi) (Dip tera: Tephritidae) from egg to complete ovarian maturation were studied in the laboratory at five different constant temperatures: 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 degrees C. The aim of this study was to get information on the influenc e of temperature on pre-mature stages, as a prerequisite to optimise rearin g procedures and to understand temporal and geographical patterns of fruit fly occurrence. The developmental rate of the different life stages increas ed linearly with increasing temperatures up to 30 degrees C. The fastest de velopment of pre-mature stages was recorded at 30 degrees C (22 +/- 1 days) and the slowest at 15 degrees C (98 +/- 3 days). The day-degrees requireme nts (K) to complete total development were 432.6 day-degrees. Lower tempera ture thresholds were 11.4, 11.9, 10.0, and 11.1 degrees C for egg, larval, pupal stages and ovarian maturation, respectively. The number of adults obt ained from an initial batch of 100 eggs reached a maximum (64) at 25 degree s C. At 35 degrees C, no adults emerged. Larval developmental time was sign ificantly shorter in green tomato fruits than in potato tubers at 15, 20, a nd 25 degrees C. Mortality rate of larvae was higher in green tomato fruits than in potato tubers at 25 and 30 degrees C.