Ecological Entomology (2001) 26, 587-593

Reuven Dukas, Ronald J. Prokopy and Jian Jun Duan (2001)
Effects of larval competition on survival and growth in Mediterranean fruit flies
Ecological Entomology 26 (6), 587-593
Abstract: 1. Larval success was compared when one, two, or three egg clutches were laid in kumquat fruits ( 10 ml in volume) either successively on the same day or at the rate of one clutch per day.
2. Increased clutch density was associated with a significant decrease in larval survival rate and non-significant decreases in larval growth rate and pupal mass.
3. Larval and pupal parameters showed significantly larger variance when clutches were laid on successive days than on the same day, suggesting a competitive advantage for older larvae over younger larvae.
4. The results suggest that, in small fruit, reduced fitness due to larval competition may act against possible fitness benefits due to social facilitation among adult females, hence reducing the likelihood of non-linear population dynamics caused by processes such as the Allee effect.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
population dynamics/ epidemiology
environment - cropping system/rotation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Ceratitis capitata