Condition-dependent effects of mating on longevity and fecundity of female Medflies: the interplay between nutrition and age of mating

BACKGROUND

In various species mating exerts direct and indirect effects on female demographic traits ranging from life span shortening to behavioural shifts. A wealth of data regarding effects of nutrition on longevity and reproduction output also exists. Nonetheless, little is known regarding the interaction between the age of mating and nutrition on female fitness.

METHODOLOGY

We studied, the effects of protein deprivation and age of mating on female fitness traits, using a wild population of the Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly). We tested the hypotheses that (a) protein availability increases female lifespan and fecundity, (b) female longevity and egg production are independent of mating and the age of mating, and (c) female mating behaviour is independent of their age and nutritional status. Thus, we recorded the mating success and the copulation characteristics, as well as the egg production and survival of females mated at young or at old age and fed a full or a protein-deprived diet.

RESULTS

Mating boosts egg production and reduces longevity of protein-fed females. On the contrary, mating increases the longevity of protein-deprived females. Mortality responses (negative or positive) to mating are expressed after a long lag phase. Old females are more receptive and less selective than young females regardless of the food regime.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that condition (nutritional status and age) defines the positive or negative output of mating in female medflies. These results contribute towards understanding the effects of mating, aging, resource allocation and their interactions on survival and female reproduction.

Molecular tools for sterile sperm detection to monitor Ceratitis capitata populations under SIT programmes

BACKGROUND

The success of an area-wide sterile insect technique (SIT) programme against Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae) relies on the mating success of sterile males in the field. Limited information is available about the effectiveness of sterile males in achieving mates with wild females and how these matings contribute to reducing wild populations. To this end, firstly a mating competition test was performed in the laboratory with different release ratios (1:1:0, 1:1:1, 1:1:5, 1:1:10 and 1:1:20 for wild females:wild males:sterile VIENNA-8 males respectively) and different host fruit. Secondly, the same release ratios were evaluated under semi-natural conditions on caged trees and on sentinel host.

RESULTS

By means of molecular markers, VIENNA-8 male sperm was positively detected in those females exposed to the male ratios 1:5, 1:10 and 1:20 in the laboratory. In the field test, sterile VIENNA-8 male matings and the C. capitata progeny on apples were positively correlated with the ratio of sterile males released and with the percentage of sterile matings respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

These results confirm the validity of using the molecular detection of VIENNA-8 male sperm to predict the C. capitata population under semi-natural conditions. Implications of these results in measuring the efficacy of an SIT programme are discussed.

Effects of pesticides used on citrus grown in Spain on the mortality of Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) Vienna-8 strain sterile males

Vienna-8 sterile males are currently released in Spain to reduce wild populations of the medfly. Because pesticides are required to maintain populations of some citrus key pests below economic thresholds, there is a need to evaluate the effects of pesticides commonly used in citrus on Vienna-8 males. Males were exposed to differently aged residues of eight pesticides. Abamectin, etofenprox, etoxazole, petroleum spray oil, pymetrozine, and pyriproxyfen resulted harmless to Vienna-8 males. However, fresh residues of chlorpyrifos and spinosad caused high mortalities and had residual effects until 21 and 28 d after treatment, respectively. Following the same method, the lethal effects of chlorpyrifos and spinosad on Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) wild-type (wt) males were determined. Surprisingly, these pesticides resulted more toxic for wt than for Vienna-8 males. To determine whether these results could be attributed to intrinsic characteristics of the pesticides or to behavioral differences among Vienna-8 and wt males, a topical application trial was conducted. Vienna-8 males were twice as susceptible to chlorpyrifos as wt males, whereas their susceptibility to spinosad was slightly lower. These results in intrinsic toxicity did not directly explain the differences observed in the extended-laboratory tests with these pesticides. We hypothesize that the lower flight activity ofVienna-8 males relative to wt conspecifics can explain the lower risk observed for Vienna-8 males in the residual tests. Our results should be taken into account when planning area-wide Sterile Insect Technique programs against C. capitata especially in those areas where treatments with chlorpyrifos are approved.

Lipid profiles as indicators of functional senescence in the medfly

Changes associated with the age-related decline of physiological functions, and their relation with mortality rates, are thoroughly being investigated in the aging research field. We used the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata, largely studied by biodemographers, as a model for functional senescence studies. The aim of our work was to find novel combinatorial indicators able to reflect the functional state of adult insects, regardless of chronological age. We studied the profiles of neutral and polar lipids of head, thorax and abdomen of standard populations kept at 23 °C, at different ages. Lipid classes were separated by thin layer chromatography, and the quantitative values were used to find patterns of change using a multivariate principal component analysis approach. The lipid-dependent principal components obtained correlated with age, and differences between sexes were consistent with differences in the shape of the survival curves and the mortality parameters. These same components were able to discriminate populations with a behavioral decline due to a mild 28 °C thermal stress. Thus, young populations at 28 °C showed similar lipid profiles than old populations at 23 °C. The results indicated that the lipid-dependent components reflect the functional state of the flies, and so were named functional state components (FSCs). It is proposed that FSCs may be used as functional senescence indicators.

Temperature-dependent development and survival of Brazilian populations of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, from tropical, subtropical and temperate regions

The Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is one of the principal exotic pests affecting Brazilian production in the northeastern and southeastern regions of Brazil. In the south, it is has potential as a serious threat to temperate-climate fruit farms, since it is already found in urban and suburban communities in this region. We studied the biological characteristics of C. capitata populations from Pelotas-RS (temperate climate), Petrolina-PE (tropical), and Campinas-SP (subtropical). Ceratitis capitata biology was studied under controlled temperature (15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 ± 1 °C), 70 ± 10% RH, and 14:10 L:D photoperiod. The duration and survival rate of the egg, larval, and pupal stages were evaluated and the thermal requirements of these three populations were determined. The duration and survival of these developmental stages varied with temperature, with similar values for the three populations, except for some variation in the egg phase. Egg to adult developmental time for all three populations was inversely proportional to temperature; from 15 to 30 °C developmental time varied from 71.2 to 17.1, 70.2 to 17.1, and 68.5 to 16.9 days, respectively. Survival during development was affected at 15 to 30 °C, and differed significantly from survival at 20 to 25 °C. At 35 °C, immature stages did not develop. The basal temperature and degree-day requirement were similar for all immature stages except for the egg stage. The basal temperatures and thermal constants were 9.30 and 350, 8.47 and 341, and 9.60 °C and 328 degree-days for the Pelotas, Petrolina, and Campinas populations, respectively. Results suggested that survival and thermal requirements are similar for these tropical, subtropical, and temperate populations of C. capitata, and demonstrate the species' capacity to adapt to different climate conditions.

Dual reproductive cost of aging in male Medflies: dramatic decrease in mating competitiveness and gradual reduction in mating performance

Although age-based effects on the reproductive success of males have been reported in several animal taxa the cost of aging on male mating success in lekking species has not been fully explored. We used the Mediterranean fruit fly, a lekking species, to investigate possible cost of aging on male reproductive success. We performed no choice and choice mating tests to test the hypothesis that aging does not affect the mating performance (mating success in conditions lacking competition) or the mating competitiveness (mating success against younger rivals) of males. The mating probability of older males decreased significantly when competing with younger males. Aging gradually reduced the mating performance of males but older males were still accepted as mating partners in conditions lacking competition. Therefore, older males are capable of performing the complete repertoire of sexual performance but fail to be chosen by females in the presence of young rivals. Older males achieved shorter copulations than younger ones, and female readiness to mate was negatively affected by male age. Older and younger males transferred similar amount of spermatozoids to female spermathecae. Females stored spermatozoids asymmetrically in the two spermathecae regardless the age of their mating partner. Aging positively affected the amount of spermatozoids in testes of both mated and nonmated males. No significant differences were observed on the amount of spermatozoids between mated and nonmated males.

Terpene down-regulation in orange reveals the role of fruit aromas in mediating interactions with insect herbivores and pathogens

Plants use volatile terpene compounds as odor cues for communicating with the environment. Fleshy fruits are particularly rich in volatiles that deter herbivores and attract seed dispersal agents. We have investigated how terpenes in citrus fruit peels affect the interaction between the plant, insects, and microorganisms. Because limonene represents up to 97% of the total volatiles in orange (Citrus sinensis) fruit peel, we chose to down-regulate the expression of a limonene synthase gene in orange plants by introducing an antisense construct of this gene. Transgenic fruits showed reduced accumulation of limonene in the peel. When these fruits were challenged with either the fungus Penicillium digitatum or with the bacterium Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri, they showed marked resistance against these pathogens that were unable to infect the peel tissues. Moreover, males of the citrus pest medfly (Ceratitis capitata) were less attracted to low limonene-expressing fruits than to control fruits. These results indicate that limonene accumulation in the peel of citrus fruit appears to be involved in the successful trophic interaction between fruits, insects, and microorganisms. Terpene down-regulation might be a strategy to generate broad-spectrum resistance against pests and pathogens in fleshy fruits from economically important crops. In addition, terpene engineering may be important for studying the basic ecological interactions between fruits, herbivores, and pathogens.

Biodemography of the Mediterranean fruit fly: aging, longevity and adaptation in the wild

The purpose of this paper is to summarize recent research on longevity, aging and adaptation in wild medfly populations and in a close relative of the medfly. The key findings include a new life table identity that relates age structure and the distribution of deaths in stationary populations, seasonal variation in the post-capture longevity of trapped medflies of unknown age, greater longevity of once-wild (wild-caught) adult medflies relative to never-wild (laboratory-emerged) individuals, differences in age specificity of different medfly field capture methods, large variation in the sex-specific longevity of six medfly global biotypes (e.g. Kenya; Brazil; Greece), and the extraordinary longevity of the natal fruit fly - a sister species of the medfly. The discussion contains a listing of discoveries derived from this recent research that appear to be unique to the investigations on medfly aging in the wild. It is suggested that studies of aging in wild populations of Drosophila melanogaster have the potential to exploit this model organism in an entirely new aging research domain and thus complement the already deep literature on aging in this species.

Susceptibility of low-chill blueberry cultivars to Mediterranean fruit fly, oriental fruit fly, and melon fly (Diptera: Tephritidae)

No-choice tests were conducted to determine whether fruit of southern highbush blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum L., hybrids are hosts for three invasive tephritid fruit flies in Hawaii. Fruit of various blueberry cultivars was exposed to gravid female flies of Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel (oriental fruit fly), Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Mediterranean fruit fly), or Bactrocera cucurbitae Coquillet (melon fly) in screen cages outdoors for 6 h and then held on sand in the laboratory for 2 wk for pupal development and adult emergence. Each of the 15 blueberry cultivars tested were infested by oriental fruit fly and Mediterranean fruit fly, confirming that these fruit flies will oviposit on blueberry fruit and that blueberry is a suitable host for fly development. However, there was significant cultivar variation in susceptibility to fruit fly infestation. For oriental fruit fly, 'Sapphire' fruit produced an average of 1.42 puparia per g, twice as high as that of the next most susceptible cultivar 'Emerald' (0.70 puparia per g). 'Legacy', 'Biloxi', and 'Spring High' were least susceptible to infestation, producing only 0.20-0.25 oriental fruit fly puparia per g of fruit. For Mediterranean fruit fly, 'Blue Crisp' produced 0.50 puparia per g of fruit, whereas 'Sharpblue' produced only 0.03 puparia per g of fruit. Blueberry was a marginal host for melon fly. This information will aid in development of pest management recommendations for blueberry cultivars as planting of low-chill cultivars expands to areas with subtropical and tropical fruit flies. Planting of fruit fly resistant cultivars may result in lower infestation levels and less crop loss.

Solid phase microextraction of volatile emissions of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae): influence of fly sex, age, and mating status

Considerable efforts have been devoted to understanding the courtship behavior and pheromone communication of medflies; however, the sex pheromone composition is still a controversial subject. The discovery of new components affecting medfly behavior would be of interest for medfly control methods based on semiochemicals. This work describes volatile compounds emitted by Ceratitis capitata collected using solid phase microextraction. The volatile study was conducted according to an experimental design with three factors (sex, age, and mating status) assumed to be relevant for better understanding the chemical communication. Emission data were treated by means of principal component analysis, a statistical methodology not previously applied to the study of volatiles emitted by fruit flies. The characterization of emission patterns could be useful for the selection of compounds to be further investigated in biological assays to improve knowledge of the key semiochemicals involved in medfly behavior.

Sperm storage and use in polyandrous females of the globally invasive fruitfly, Ceratitis capitata

The medfly, Ceratitis capitata, is an invasive species in which polyandry, associated with sperm precedence, is a common behaviour in the wild. In this species, characterized by internal fertilization, we disclose how the sperm from two males are stored in the female storage organs and how they are used in terms of paternity outcome. The experiments were designed to furnish comparable and unbiased estimates of sperm numbers and progeny in twice-mated females. Results are incorporated in a model through which it is possible to relate the amount of stored sperm with the progeny of twice-mated females. The results show that polyandrous medfly females conserve equal amounts of sperm from the two males to fertilize their eggs. However, we observed a clear advantage of the second male's sperm in siring progeny, which interestingly decreases in favor of the first male as ovipositions progress. The results enable us to exclude differential sperm mortality and suggest that it is the mechanics governing the storage organs which causes the initial, but decreasing second male sperm precedence during the female reproductive life. These outcomes allow us to correlate sperm use in polyandrous females with the mating strategies and invasiveness of this fly.

Putative-farnesoic acid O-methyltransferase (FAMeT) in medfly reproduction

A gene potentially involved in juvenile hormone (JH) biosynthesis was previously identified in Ceratitis capitata as the putative-farnesoic acid O-methyltransferase (FAMeT). Since JH is involved in insect reproduction, we silenced the putative-FAMeT expression by RNA interference in Ceratitis capitata to evaluate its implication in egg production. FAMeT gene expression was knocked down in females and males after eclosion and in 1- and 2-day-old females. Treated specimens were left to mate with each other or with untreated partners to evaluate the extent of each sex influencing egg production. Gene silencing was investigated by Real-Time PCR. Results unambiguously showed that FAMeT has a measurable role on the fertility of both medfly sexes.

Tracking medfly predation by the wolf spider, Pardosa cribata Simon, in citrus orchards using PCR-based gut-content analysis

The Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), which is often controlled chemically, is a major citrus pest in Spain; however, alternative biological control strategies such as those based on the conservation of polyphagous predators should be developed. The wolf spider, Pardosa cribata Simon, is an abundant predator found in citrus orchards in eastern Spain. In this study, we have evaluated polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based techniques as a means of detecting C. capitata DNA remains in P. cribata specimens. To do so, two pairs of C. capitata species-specific primers were designed and tested. Primer specificity was tested on species closely related to C. capitata and with other pests and natural enemies present in citrus orchards. Medfly DNA was detectable in 100% of P. cribata from 0 to 12 h post ingestion for both primer pairs, decreasing to 37% at 96 h after prey ingestion for one pair of primers. DNA detectability half-lives were of 78.25 h and 78.08 h for each pair of primers but no statistical differences were found between them. Pardosa cribata specimens were field-collected daily after sterile C. capitata pupae had been deployed in the citrus orchard. Afterwards, the wolf spiders were analyzed and DNA remains of C. capitata were detected in 5% of them, with a peak of 15% coinciding with maximum C. capitata emergence. This study is the first to reveal the potential use of DNA markers to track medfly predation by P. cribata in citrus orchards and provides a new tool to estimate the potential role of this spider in biological-control conservation programs.

Insecticidal, mutagenic and genotoxic evaluation of annonaceous acetogenins

Annonaceous acetogenins represent a class of bioactive compounds whose primary mode of action is the inhibition of NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase (Mitochondrial Complex I). Given the potential pesticidal use of these compounds, we evaluated the effects of seven acetogenins: squamocin (1), molvizarin (2), itrabin (3), almuñequin (4), cherimolin-1 (5), cherimolin-2 (6), and tucumanin (7) isolated from Annona cherimolia Mill. against Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann (Tephritidae). These acetogenins did not display insecticidal action at 250 microg of treatment per g of adult diet. However, the oviposition capacity of C. capitata females was significantly altered by some of the acetogenins at this concentration. The most potent compounds were itrabin, molvizarin and squamocin. Moreover, significant differences were detected in the preference of oviposition sites when itrabin and squamocin were spread on the surface of artificial fruits at doses of 30 microg/cm2. Additionally, we investigated the mutagenic effects displayed by itrabin, as well as the phytotoxic and genotoxic action of squamocin and itrabin. Both compounds displayed slight phytotoxic and genotoxic effects on roots of Allium cepa at 2.5 microg/mL though no mutagenic effects were detected at 0.25, 0.5 and 2.5 microg/mL on Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100.

Cost of reproduction in male medflies: the primacy of sexual courting in extreme longevity reduction

In polygynous insect species, male reproductive success is directly related to lifetime mating success. However, the costs for males of sexual activities such as courting, signaling, and mating are largely unknown. We studied the cost of sexual activities in male Mediterranean fruit flies, Ceratitis capitata (Tephritidae), a polygynous lekking species, by keeping cohorts of individual male flies under relaxed crowding conditions in the laboratory. We used 5 cohorts among which individuals differed in their opportunities to interact with con-specifics and recorded life span, and in one treatment, mating rate. We found that males kept singly lived more than twice as long as males that interacted intensively with mature virgin females, while male-male interactions caused a smaller reduction in longevity. Because longevity of males that could court but not mate was not significantly different from those that could court and mate, we conclude that courting (not mating) was responsible for the observed longevity reduction. Moreover, we detected high variability in male mating success, when 5 virgin females were offered daily. In contrast to the cohort level, individual males that mated at a high rate lived relatively long, thus indicating heterogeneity in quality or sexual strategy among males.

[Performance of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae) in fruits: comparison of two laboratory populations]

This study evaluated the influence of two fruits hosts (orange and papaya) on biological and behavioral parameters of two populations of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) reared under laboratory conditions. One of these populations has been reared under laboratory conditions by 25 years without introduction of wild flies (Lab-pop), while the other has been maintained under the same conditions by 15 years but with occasional introduction of wild specimens (Hybrid-pop). The following parameters were analyzed: emergence percentage, life cycle duration (from eclosion to emergence), adult size, longevity, female fecundity and oviposition preference. The best performance of immatures of both populations was obtained on papaya as a host. Larvae reared on orange had longer life cycle, low emergence percentage and smaller adults. The fruit type did not affect fecundity and longevity of the Lab-pop, but in the Hybrid-pop males lived longer when reared on papaya, while females had higher longevity and fecundity when reared on orange. Females of both populations preferred to lay eggs in papaya (better host for larvae) when compared to orange. However, some eggs were deposited on orange only by females of Lab-pop, suggesting a lower ability for host selection of this population. These data are discussed regarding to the effects of continuous laboratory rearing on the biological parameters of this species.

A receiver operating characteristic analysis approach for the assessment of the separation of female Mediterranean fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) oviposition distributions

Average fecundity rates and survival are the main components of fitness estimates in studies comparing performance of insect populations. Reproduction is inherently age related in most insect species, and age-specific offspring production is very important in determining fitness components. However, comparison of age-specific reproduction rates are not straight forward and most studies limit analyses to comparisons of average fecundity rates and survival as the main components of the performance of insect populations. We develop a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve approach to compare lifetime oviposition distributions. We use empirical data of a study of Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae) populations, where each fly's lifetime oviposition distribution was recorded for samples studied in natural and artificial oviposition substrates. Currently, there exists no routinely used methodology for the comparison of oviposition distributions and assessment of their separation. ROC analysis is regularly used in two-sample problems in medical biostatistics when the main task is depiction and quantification of the separation of the empirical distributions from which the data arise. Adaptation of such an analysis to our data has shown that age-specific egg-laying distributions can differ, whereas average fecundity rates do not. Therefore, ROC analysis provides a method of gaining insight in the biological process of egg-laying patterns in relatively long-lived insects with many practical and theoretical implications in entomological experimentation.

Purification and characterisation of proteins secreted by the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae with insecticidal activity against adults of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae)

BACKGROUND

The control of the Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly) Ceratitis capitata (Wied) is usually performed with protein bait sprays incorporating chemical insecticides that may have adverse effects on humans, non-target organisms and the environment. In recent years, scientists have sought more environmentally friendly insecticides for medfly control, such as plant- and microorganism-derived compounds. Among these compounds, entomopathogenic fungi are an unexplored source of natural insecticides.

RESULTS

The crude soluble protein extract (CSPE) of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae (Mestch.) (strain EAMa 01/58-Su) shows chronic insecticidal activity when administered per os. Mortality in flies exhibits a dose response. The CSPE produces an antifeedant effect in adult flies, a result probably due to a progressive deterioration of the fly midgut after ingestion of the extract. Protease and temperature treatments show that insecticidal activity against C. capitata is due to proteinaceous compounds that are highly thermostable. Four monomeric proteins from this crude extract have been purified by liquid chromatography and gel electroelution. Although all four monomers seem to be involved in the insecticidal activity of the CSPE, the 15 kDa and the 11 kDa proteins appear to be mainly responsible for the observed insecticidal effect.

CONCLUSIONS

Four new fungal proteins with insecticidal activity have been purified and identified. These proteins might be combined with insect baits for C. capitata biocontrol.

[Mating choice of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae): influence of male ageing on mating success]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of male ageing on male pheromone release and mating success of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann). The effects of male ageing on mating were evaluated on five and 21 d-old males by assessing their mating success (males chosen by a female for copulation) and the amount of males releasing the sex pheromone. The mating success was evaluated by using several ratios of young to older males by increasing the number of older males:young males from 1:1 to 5:1. The mating success of the 1:1 ratio was also evaluated in field cages. The evaluation of the mating success (in the 1:1 ratio) showed a clear preference of the females for young males. Sex pheromone emission was much more common on young than older males. Even in cases were older males were more abundant (ratios 2:1 and 3:1), females still chose the young males. However, females could not distinguish young from older males in ratios of 4:1 or 5:1. Our data indicate that the ageing of C. capitata males has a considerable negative effect on their reproductive success, especially if they are found in a proportion any lower than 3:1.

Remating by female Mediterranean fruit flies (Ceratitis capitata, Diptera: Tephritidae): temporal patterns and modulation by male condition

We determined the temporal pattern of female remating in the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, and how mating with sterile males affects remating. In addition, we examined the hypotheses that sterile male nutrition and age affect the subsequent receptivity of their mates. Temporally, female receptivity varied significantly throughout the experimental period. Relatively high levels of remating (14%) on the days following the first copulation were followed by a decline, with a significantly low point (4.1%) 2 weeks after mating. Subsequently, receptivity is gradually restored (18%) 3 and 4 weeks after the initial copulation. When females were first mated to sterile males, significantly higher remating percentages were recorded. The ability of sterile males to inhibit receptivity of both wild and laboratory reared females on the day of first mating was significantly improved when they were fed a nutrient rich diet. Male age at first mating also affected female receptivity: sterile males of intermediate age (11 days old) inhibited female remating significantly more than younger or older flies. Although further studies are needed to determine the relative roles of natural and sexual selection in modulating patterns of female sexual receptivity, the Sterile Insect Technique may be improved by releasing well nourished, older sterile males.

Thermotolerance and HSP70 expression in the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata

The relationship between Hsp70 expression and thermotolerance has been well documented in Drosophila melanogaster. However, there is limited information on this relationship in other insect species. In this report we describe the Hsp70-thermotolerance relationship in one of the major fruit fly pests, Ceratitis capitata (medfly). Hsp70 expression and thermotolerance were assayed at a range of temperatures in several stages of medfly development. The most thermotolerant stage was found to be the late larval stage (100% survival at 41 degrees C) followed by adult flies and late embryos (100% survival at 39 degrees C). These three stages showed a positive relationship between Hsp70 expression and thermotolerance. Mid-larval and mid-embryonic stages were found less thermotolerant and the Hsp70-thermotolerance relationship was not evident. Early embryos did not express Hsp70 at any temperature and exhibited the lowest thermotolerance. The relationship between Hsp70 and inducible thermotolerance was also studied in late larvae. A pretreatment at 37-39 degrees C increased thermotolerance at higher temperatures by approximately 1 degrees C. In parallel, the pretreatment increased Hsp70 expression suggesting a close link between Hsp70 expression and inducible thermotolerance. The increased Hsp70 levels after pretreatment were found to be due to the increased levels of the hsp70 RNA.

Evaluation of yeasts and yeast products in larval and adult diets for the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis, and adult diets for the medfly, Ceratitis capitata, and the melon fly, Bactrocera curcurbitae

Several yeasts and yeast products were tested in adult diets for the medfly Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), and melon fly, Bactrocera curcurbitae (Coquillett) (Diptera: Tephritidae) and in larval liquid diet for mass-rearing B. dorsalis. Three hydrolyzed brewer's yeasts (FNILS65, FNI200 and FNI210), one glutamine enriched yeast (GSH), one vitamin-enriched yeast (RDA500), Korea yeast, whole cell yeasts, and combinations of them were evaluated. Adult flies fed on a diet with FNI210FNI210 + GSH and RDA500 produced the highest number of eggs in all three tested fruit fly species. However, no significant difference was seen in egg hatch from flies fed on these diets with yeast in comparison to the control standard diet. When these yeasts were incorporated into a larval liquid diet with wheat germ oil, FNI200 and FNIL65 showed significantly higher pupal recovery than those from FNI210 and better adult flying and mating than those from Korea yeast. Glutamine enriched yeast enhanced fly performance, especially with FNI200 + GSH and FNILS65 + GSH, but not vitamin enriched yeast. Among the larvae reared with FNI200 + GSH, FNILS65 + GSH and torula yeast, those reared in FNILS65 + GSH diet with wheat germ oil developed the best. In order to select the most cost-effective yeast for liquid diet, FNILS65 + GSH and wheat germ oil was combined with whole cell yeast (LBI2240 series) and compared to the control diet (conventional mill feed diet currently used in the rearing facility). A ratio of 3:1 of LBI2240 and FNILS65 + wheat germ oil was selected as the most effective yeast for oriental fruit fly liquid larval diet based on cost and performance parameters.

Automatic sex detection of individuals of Ceratitis capitata by means of computer vision in a biofactory

BACKGROUND

The sterile insect technique (SIT) is acknowledged around the world as an effective method for biological pest control of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann). Sterile insects are produced in biofactories where one key issue is the selection of the progenitors that have to transmit specific genetic characteristics. Recombinant individuals must be removed as this colony is renewed. Nowadays, this task is performed manually, in a process that is extremely slow, painstaking and labour intensive, in which the sex of individuals must be identified. The paper explores the possibility of using vision sensors and pattern recognition algorithms for automated detection of recombinants.

RESULTS

An automatic system is proposed and tested to inspect individual specimens of C. capitata using machine vision. It includes a backlighting system and image processing algorithms for determining the sex of live flies in five high-resolution images of each insect. The system is capable of identifying the sex of the flies by means of a program that analyses the contour of the abdomen, using fast Fourier transform features, to detect the presence of the ovipositor. Moreover, it can find the characteristic spatulate setae of males. Simulation tests with 1000 insects (5000 images) had 100% success in identifying male flies, with an error rate of 0.6% for female flies.

CONCLUSION

This work establishes the basis for building a machine for the automatic detection and removal of recombinant individuals in the selection of progenitors for biofactories, which would have huge benefits for SIT around the globe.

Age structure changes and extraordinary lifespan in wild medfly populations

The main purpose of this study was to test the hypotheses that major changes in age structure occur in wild populations of the Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly) and that a substantial fraction of individuals survive to middle age and beyond (> 3-4 weeks). We thus brought reference life tables and deconvolution models to bear on medfly mortality data gathered from a 3-year study of field-captured individuals that were monitored in the laboratory. The average time-to-death of captured females differed between sampling dates by 23.9, 22.7, and 37.0 days in the 2003, 2004, and 2005 field seasons, respectively. These shifts in average times-to-death provided evidence of changes in population age structure. Estimates indicated that middle-aged medflies (> 30 days) were common in the population. A surprise in the study was the extraordinary longevity observed in field-captured medflies. For example, 19 captured females but no reference females survived in the laboratory for 140 days or more, and 6 captured but no reference males survived in the laboratory for 170 days or more. This paper advances the study of aging in the wild by introducing a new method for estimating age structure in insect populations, demonstrating that major changes in age structure occur in field populations of insects, showing that middle-aged individuals are common in the wild, and revealing the extraordinary lifespans of wild-caught individuals due to their early life experience in the field.

Purification and characterization of two cysteine peptidases of the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata during metamorphosis

In holometabolous insects, there is a complete body remodeling from larva to adult. We determined in Ceratitis capitata that the transition from pre-pupa to pupa, 40 to 48 h after puparium formation (h APF), is a key moment of metamorphosis; when salivary glands, intestine, fat body, and muscles are in different stages of cell death. At 44-46 h APF, muscles from segments 1-3 (thoracic region) appeared fully disintegrated, whereas posterior muscles just started death processes. To understand some of the biochemical events eventually involved in histolytic processes during early metamorphosis, two cysteine peptidases coined "Metamorphosis Associated Cysteine Peptidase" (MACP-I and MACP-II) were purified to homogeneity from 40-46-h APF insects. Both enzymes were inhibited by Ep-475, a specific inhibitor of papain-like cysteine-peptidases. MACP-I is a single chain protein with an apparent molecular mass of 80 kDa and includes several isoforms with pI values of pH 6.25-6.35, 6.7, and 7.2. The enzyme has an optimum pH of 5.0 and its pH stability ranges from pH 4.0 to 6.0. The molecular weight and N-terminal sequence suggest that MACP-I might be a novel enzyme. MACP-II is an acidic single chain protein with a pI of pH 5.85 and an apparent molecular mass of 30 kDa. The enzyme is labile with a maximum stability in the pH range of 4.0 to 6.0 and an optimum pH among 5.0 to 6.0. MAPCP-II characteristics suggest it is a cathepsin B-like enzyme.