Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Protocols for CRISPR/Cas9 Mutagenesis of the Oriental Fruit Fly Bactrocera dorsalis
Published on: September 28, 2022
Behavioral and lethal effects of yeast based bioformulations on Bactrocera dorsalis
Seema Ramniwas1, Aanchal Sharma2, Narendra Vikram Singh2
1Department of Microbiology, Marwadi University Research Center, Faculty of Sciences, Marwadi University, Rajkot, Gujarat, 360003, India.
None:
The Oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae), is a globally significant agricultural pest necessitating novel and sustainable management strategies. This study investigated the efficacy of two stable bio-control agents derived from the naturally associated mycobiome of Zaprionus indianus: the yeast species Debaryomyces hansenii ziha1 and Pichia kudriavzevii zibd3, formulated with Essential Oil of Citral (EOC). Efficacy was evaluated via stability testing across 7 °C, 25 °C and 35 °C, compatibility assessment (T-factor), behavioral preference assays, insecticidal trials against first-instar larvae, and chemical characterization using GC-MS and Y-tube olfactometry. Both EOC-based formulations demonstrated high stability and acceptable compatibility with the fungi (EOC ≤ 1%, T ≈ 55), but exhibited strikingly opposite behavioral effects on adult B. dorsalis. D. hansenii-EOC showed significant attractant activity (- 95 ± 0.5%), which was correlated with VOCs such as Acetophenone and Hexadecenal, while P. kudriavzevii-EOC acted as a potent repellent (100 ± 0.5%), attributed to compounds including p-Mentha1,5-dien-8-ol and Naphthalene. Furthermore, P. kudriavzevii-EOC exhibited a synergistic lethal effect against pre-adult stages, causing over 50% larval mortality. In conclusion, the insect mycobiome serves as a rich and selective source for chemical ecology-based pest management, offering stable, dual-action bio-formulations (Attractant and Repellent/Larvicide) that are ideal for developing targeted "Push-Pull" or "Attract-and-Kill" strategies in B. dorsalis integrated pest management (IPM) programs.
Related Concept Videos
Yeast Signaling
Lethal Alleles
Lucien Cuénot discovered lethal alleles in 1905 while studying the inheritance of coat color in mice. The agouti gene is responsible for the color of the coat in mice. This gene codes for an agouti-signaling protein, which is responsible for melanin distribution in mammals. The wild-type allele gives rise to gray-brown coat color in mice, while the mutant allele gives rise to yellow coat color. In addition to coat color, the agouti gene is associated with the yellow...
What is Behavior?
Buffer Effectiveness
The buffer capacity is the amount of acid or base that can be added to a given volume...
Framing Effects
Behaviorism
The core premise of behaviorism is its focus on observable behavior rather than internal thoughts or feelings. This approach argues that true scientific...

