Using Two-Sex Life Table Traits to Assess the Fruit Preference and Fitness of Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Abstract

Abstract Bactrocera flies are economic pests of agricultural crops all over the world. Among Bactrocera flies, oriental fruit fly is an economically important pest of fruit crops in the world. Basic studies of Bactrocera flies are very important and helpful to the development of integrated management strategies. However, basic studies regarding behavior and age-stage, two-sex life table traits for this pest, which are vital for designing effective control methods, are currently lacking. Considering the importance of B. dorsalis, this study aimed to evaluate the fruit preference and age-stage, two-sex life table traits of B. dorsalis on guava (Psidium guajava), papaya (Carica papaya), and banana (Musa acuminata) fruits in the laboratory. In choice and no-choice tests, the number of visits and oviposition punctures made by female B. dorsalis flies were significantly higher on guava than those on papaya and banana. The life cycle from eggs to male (146.95 ± 3.43 d) and female (164.94 ± 3.85 d) adults was significantly longer on papaya than those on banana and guava. Bactrocera dorsalis females produced significantly more eggs when fed on guava (623.30 eggs female−1) than on papaya (527.80 eggs female−1) or banana (399.60 eggs female−1). Guava was the more suitable fruit for B. dorsalis, and could be used as a bait fruit to manage the B. dorsalis during the fruiting season of papaya and banana.