DAILY ACTIVITY PATTERNS AND WITHIN-FIELD DISTRIBUTION OF PAPAYA FRUIT-FLIES (DIPTERA, TEPHRITIDAE) IN MORELOS AND VERACRUZ, MEXICO

We quantified within-orchard distribution patterns and diel patterns o f oviposition, male calling, mating, feeding, and resting behaviors of wild papaya fruit flies, Toxotrypana curvicauda Gerstaecker, in exper imental and commercial papaya orchards in the states of Morelos and Ve racruz, Mexico. Essential resources (e.g., oviposition substrates, sit es to perform sexual activities, food, shelter) were identified in bot h papaya plantations and in adjacent native vegetation. In papaya mono crops, T. curvicauda adults fly back and for th between native vegetat ion and papaya plantations. They enter plantations in the morning and leave them in the afternoon. As a consequence, the highest proportion of individuals was sighted in border rows (those closest to native veg etation). If papaya plantations are mixed (papaya, mango, avocado, gua nabana), both within-orchard distribution and daily movement patterns differ when compared with those observed in papaya monocrops. Here, mo st flies are seen in areas next to mango or avocado trees (shelter sit es) and not in plantation borders. We discuss our findings in light of their practical implications.