Florida Entomologist (1994) 77, 231-237
Bruce D. Sutton and Gary J. Steck (1994)
Discrimination of Caribbean and Mediterranean fruit fly larvae (Diptera:Tephritidae) by cuticular hydrocarbon analysis
Florida Entomologist 77 (2), 231-237
Abstract: Larvae of the Caribbean fruit fly, Anastrepha suspensa (Loew) can be differentiated from those of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) with nearly 100% accuracy by analysis of cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) patterns. A discriminant model is presented based on samples of feral and laboratory Caribbean and Mediterranean fruit flies. The difference in the ratio of two components is sufficient to discriminate third instars of the species. Accuracy in discrimination, utilization of specimens that are damaged, dried or otherwise unusable for morphometric, isozyme or DNA analysis, low cost per sample and automation of the process, all make CHC analysis a particularly effective solution for identification of these two species.
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Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
identification/taxonomy
