Interspecific interactions and host preference of Anastrepha obliqua and Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae), two pests of mango in Central America

Adult aggressive interactions between Anastrepha obliqua and Ceratitis capitata were examined by exposing adults of both species to each other in laboratory conditions as well as exposing them to natural host fruits such as mangos and oranges. A. obliqua successfully displaced C. capitata from mango fruit 60.4% of encounters, 35.8% of encounters showed no adult aggressive interactions, and 3.8% of encounters resulted in C. capitata displacing A. obliqua from the fruit. When adults of both species were exposed to oranges and mangos in the same cage, C. capitata preferred oranges 62.8% of the time and mangos 37.2%, while A. obliqua preferred mangos 62.5% of the time and oranges 37.5%.