Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata (2009) 131, 75-84

Diego F. Segura, Carlos Cáceres, M. Teresa Vera, Viwat Wornoayporn, Amirul Islam, Peter E.A. Teal, Jorge L. Cladera, Jorge Hendrichs and Alan S. Robinson (2009)
Enhancing mating performance after juvenile hormone treatment in Anastrepha fraterculus: a differential response in males and females acts as a physiological sexing system
Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 131 (1), 75-84
Abstract: Methoprene (a mimic of juvenile hormone) treatment can reduce the time required for sexual maturation in Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae) males under laboratory conditions, supporting its use as a treatment for sterile males within the context of the sterile insect technique (SIT). We evaluated sexual behaviour, mating competitiveness of methoprene-treated males, and female readiness to mate after methoprene-treatment in field cages. The study involved two strains of A. fraterculus from Argentina and Peru, which show several polymorphisms in relation to their sexual behaviour. We also analyzed whether methoprene treatment affected male and/or female behaviour in the same way in these two strains. Methoprene-treated males were equally competitive with untreated mature males, and became sexually competitive 6 days after emergence (3-4 days earlier than untreated males). In contrast, methoprene did not induce sexual maturation in females or, at least, it did not induce a higher rate of mating in 7-day-old females. These results were observed both for the Argentina and the Peru strains. Altogether, our results indicate that methoprene treatment produces sexually competitive males in field cages. In the absence of a genetic sexing system, and when sterile males and females of A. fraterculus are released simultaneously, the fact that females do not respond as do males to the methoprene treatment acts as a physiological sexing effect. Therefore, in the presence of mainly sexually immature sterile females, released sexually mature sterile males would have to disperse in search of wild fertile females, thereby greatly reducing matings among the released sterile insects and thus enhancing sterile insect technique efficiency.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Diego Segura, Jorge Hendrichs, M. Teresa Vera

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

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Anastrepha fraterculus		Argentina
	Anastrepha fraterculus		Peru