Fecundity of female oriental fruit flies (Diptera : Tephritidae): Effects of methyl eugenol-fed and multiple mates

Females of the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), show a str ong mating preference for males that have fed previously on methyl eugenol, a compound occurring naturally in various plant families. The current stud y compared fecundity and fertility (proportion of eggs hatching) of individ ual females mated to methyl eugenol-deprived males (control) or methyl euge nol-fed males (treated). Based on data collected over an 8-wk period, no di fferences were detected in female survival, fecundity, or fertility between females mated to control or treated males. In a second experiment, female remating frequency was monitored, and the fecundity of singly versus multip ly mated females was compared. Approximately 50% of females remated over 8 wk, and multiple maters laid significantly more eggs than did single maters . Possible explanations for the female preference For methyl eugenol-fed ma les and the difference in fecundity observed between singly and multiply ma ted females are discussed.