Post-teneral protein feeding improves sexual competitiveness but reduces longevity of mass-reared sterile male mediterranean fruit flies (Diptera : Tephritidae)

The sterile insect technique is gaining an increasing role in the control o f Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), populations. In the current study, we examine how post-teneral nutrition during the first 4 -8 d after adult emergence affects performance and copulatory success in le ks of mass-reared sterile (TSL strain) males. We found that protein and sug ar fed males were significantly more likely to emit pheromone (call) in lek s, and more likely to copulate, than males fed only sugar. Sterile males, w ho had access to water. and apples after 4 d of feeding on protein and suga r, or sugar alone, were significantly more likely to copulate than their st arved competitors who harl access to water alone. However, after 24 h of st arvation, 4-d protein-fed males suffered a higher mortality than sugar-fed males. More work is necessary to determine the optimal protein formulation that will maintain a balance between hastened mortality and increased sexua l competitiveness of sterile males.