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Mating activity of Bactrocera cacuminata (Hering) (Diptera: Tephritidae) on its larval host plant Solanum mauritianum Scopoli in southeast Queensland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 December 2007

R.A.I. Drew ,
D.J. Rodgers ,
S. Vijaysegaran  and
C.J. Moore
R.A.I. Drew*
Affiliation:
International Centre for the Management of Pest Fruit Flies, Australian School of Environmental Studies, Griffith University, Nathan Campus, Queensland 4111, Australia
D.J. Rodgers
Affiliation:
International Centre for the Management of Pest Fruit Flies, Australian School of Environmental Studies, Griffith University, Nathan Campus, Queensland 4111, Australia
S. Vijaysegaran
Affiliation:
International Centre for the Management of Pest Fruit Flies, Australian School of Environmental Studies, Griffith University, Nathan Campus, Queensland 4111, Australia
C.J. Moore
Affiliation:
Department of Primary Industries, Yeerongpilly, Queensland 4105, Australia
*
*Author for correspondence Fax: +61 7 3735 3697 E-mail: d.drew@griffith.edu.au
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Abstract

A detailed study was conducted on the mating behaviour of Bactrocera cacuminata (Hering) (Diptera: Tephritidae) in nature. Plant tissues from Solanum mauritianum Scopoli, the primary larval host for B. cacuminata, were also analysed for methyl eugenol content. In the field, over a 15 month period, 44,171 observations of adult B. cacuminata individuals were made including 1109 mating pairs on S. mauritianum. Calling behaviour consisting of wing fanning and anus beating by males was also consistently observed on the underside of leaves of S. mauritianum after sunset. Female flies that arrived into these groups of 10–15 calling males were mated and often remained coupled until dawn. No methyl eugenol was detected from the analysis of leaves, flowers and fruits of S. mauritianum. Thus, B. cacuminata does not need to aggregate at sites where methyl eugenol is present and the hypothesis that this chemical plays a role in the selection of mating sites by B. cacuminata is not supported by the current study. It is concluded that S. mauritianum is the primary site of mating for B. cacuminata in nature and that the concept that the larval host plant is the centre of activity for dacine fruit flies remains robust, being fully supported by the results of this study.

Keywords

Bactrocera cacuminatamating behaviourhost plantmethyl eugenol
Type
Research Paper
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 98 , Issue 1 , February 2008 , pp. 77 - 81
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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