Journal of Economic Entomology (1994) 87, 91-95

Roger I. Vargas, Shizuko Mitchell, Chiou-Ling Hsu and William A. Walsh (1994)
Laboratory evaluation of diets of processed corncob, torula yeast, and wheat germ on four developmental stages of Mediterranean fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae)
Journal of Economic Entomology 87 (1), 91-95
Abstract: Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), larvae were reared on five diets (wheat millfeed [standard], processed corncob [PCC] + torula yeast, PCC + torula yeast + 1% wheat germ [WG], PCC + torula yeast + 3% WG, and PCC + torula yeast + 6% WG) through five consecutive generations to obtain measurements of the following five life history traits: duration of larval development, pupal recovery, pupal weight, adult fecundity, and egg fertility. The PCC + torula yeast diets produced insects with shorter larval developmental times and higher pupal recovery than the standard millfeed diet. In contrast, the millfeed diet produced the highest pupal weight and adult fecundity. PCC diets fortified with wheat germ produced Mediterranean fruit flies with the highest egg fertility. These results suggest that PCC/wheat germ diets produce Mediterranean fruit flies of comparable quality to those commonly used in sterile insect programs.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Roger I. Vargas

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
rearing/culturing/mass production

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

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