Biological Journal of the Linnean Society (2009) 97, 106-117

Alexandros D. Diamantidis, Nikos T. Papadopoulos, Christos T. Nakas, Shuang Wu, Hans-Georg Müller and James R. Carey (2009)
Life history evolution in a globally invading tephritid: patterns of survival and reproduction in medflies from six world regions
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 97 (1), 106-117
Abstract: Comparisons among populations from different localities represent an important tool in the study of evolution. Medflies have colonized many temperate and tropical areas all over the world during the last few centuries. In a common garden environment, we examined whether medfly populations obtained from six global regions [Africa (Kenya), Pacific (Hawaii), Central America (Guatemala), South America (Brazil), Extra-Mediterranean (Portugal) and Mediterranean (Greece)] have evolved different survival and reproductive schedules. Whereas females were either short-lived [life expectancy at eclosion (e₀) 48-58 days; Kenya, Hawaii and Guatemala] or long-lived (e₀ 72-76 days; Greece, Portugal and Brazil], males with one exception (Guatemala) were generally long-lived (e₀ 106-122 days). Although males universally outlived females in all populations, the longevity gender gap was highly variable (20-58 days). Lifetime fecundity rates were similar among populations. However, large differences were observed in their age-specific reproductive patterns. Short-lived populations mature at earlier ages and allocate more of their resources to reproduction early in life compared with long-lived ones. In all populations, females experienced a post-reproductive lifespan, with this segment being significantly longer in Kenyan flies. Therefore, it seems plausible that medfly populations, inhabiting ecologically diverse habitats, have evolved different life history strategies to cope with local environmental conditions.
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Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Nikos T. Papadopoulos, James R. Carey

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Ceratitis capitata		Greece
	Ceratitis capitata		Portugal (continental)
	Ceratitis capitata		Kenya
	Ceratitis capitata		Guatemala
	Ceratitis capitata		U.S.A. (Hawaii)