The mitochondrial genome of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata

The complete sequence of the mitochondrial genome of Ceratitis capitata has been determined. The circular genome is 15 980 bp long and contains a stan dard gene complement, i.e. the large and small ribosomal RNA subunits, twen ty-two transfer RNA (tRNA) genes and thirteen genes encoding mitochondrial proteins. When comparing the sequence to fragments previously sequenced fro m other isolates it becomes apparent that interstrain polymorphisms are not rare. These differences are potentially useful for the development of diag nostic tools for population analysis applications, such as determining the source of recent introductions. Moreover, they could help obtain a solution to the long-lasting controversy on the possible eradication of the Medfly from certain locations.