| Efficacy of the Sterile Insect Technique against Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae) |
| Paper ID : 1190-3IICE (R1) |
| Authors: |
|
Mehrdad Ahmadi *1, Shiva - Osouli2, Nadia Kalantarian3 1Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute 2Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, Nuclear Agriculture Research School, Karaj, Iran 3Nuclear Science and Technology research Institute |
| Abstract: |
| The Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly), Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), is one of the most serious pests of fruit crops in many tropical, subtropical and mild temperate areas worldwide. It is highly polyphagous species and causes extensive damage to a wide range of fruits with two to five generations per year. One of the ecologically friendly and species-specific systems of fruit flies control is the sterile insect technique (SIT) which is based on the release of large numbers of sterilized insects. The objective of our work was to develop SIT against C. capitata using gamma radiation at laboratory conditions. Reproductive quality (fecundity and hatching percentage) of female mated by irradiated males is one of the main parameters to determine achievement of SIT. To determine the standard sterile dose, fly pupae were placed under 0 to 120 Gy of gamma radiation. The main factor in SIT is the number of hatched eggs from irradiated adults and its hatching percentage that should be lowest. The results indicated that the non-irradiated (NI) females crossed with non-irradiated males laid 108 eggs / female during their life time. In contrast, fecundity of NI female mated by Irradiated males which were treated by 80, 90 and 100 Gy of radiation was 52, 34 and 17 eggs/ female, respectively. Moreover, the egg hatchability percentage of NI females × NI males was 74%, however, eggs deposited by NI females × I males by using 80, 90 and 100 Gy of gamma radiation had zero hatchability. Considering the economy of the method, it was shown that dose of 80 Gy was suitable for sterilization of Mediterranean fruit fly. Therefore, sterile insect technique can be used successfully against Mediterranean fruit flies after complementary semi-field and field experiments. |
| Keywords: |
| Ceratitis capitata, Sterile Insect Technique, Radiation, Reproductive quality |
| Status : Paper Accepted (Oral Presentation) |
