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Oviposition deterring pheromone inAnastrepha fraterculus flies.
R J Prokopy1, A Malavasi, J S Morgante
1Department of Entomology, University of Massachusetts, 01003, Amherst, Massachusetts.
Journal of Chemical Ecology
|January 14, 2014
Summary
Anastrepha fraterculus females deposit a pheromone to deter egg-laying on fruit. This trait is flexible, influenced by fruit size, and does not arrest males.
Area of Science:
- Entomology
- Chemical Ecology
- Behavioral Ecology
Background:
- Anastrepha fraterculus is an economically significant fruit pest.
- Oviposition-deterring pheromones are crucial for insect reproductive strategies.
- Understanding pheromone use in Anastrepha fraterculus can inform pest management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the characteristics and flexibility of the oviposition-deterring pheromone in Anastrepha fraterculus.
- To determine if the pheromone influences male behavior.
Main Methods:
- Observational studies on female Anastrepha fraterculus behavior after egg-laying.
- Analysis of pheromone deposition in relation to fruit size and other environmental factors.
- Behavioral assays to test male response to the pheromone.
Main Results:
- Females deposit a water-soluble, durable oviposition-deterring pheromone after egg-laying.
- Pheromone deposition, amount, and subsequent departure are flexible, varying with fruit size.
- Anastrepha fraterculus males were not arrested by the pheromone, unlike in Rhagoletis species.
Conclusions:
- The oviposition-deterring pheromone in Anastrepha fraterculus exhibits flexible deployment strategies.
- Fruit characteristics significantly influence pheromone deposition and female behavior.
- The pheromone functions primarily to deter conspecific females, not to arrest males.
