AZADIRACHTIN - EFFECTS ON METAMORPHOSIS, LONGEVITY, AND REPRODUCTION OF 3 TEPHRITID FRUIT-FLY SPECIES (DIPTERA, TEPHRITIDAE)

Determined the effects of azadirachtin on the metamorphosis, longevity, and reproduction of Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata, oriental fruit fly Dacus dorsalis and melon fly Dacus cucurbitae exposed as late third instars and pupae. Formation of puparia was not affected by azadirachtin at the concentrations tested. Adult emergence was completely inhibited at concentrations of 14 ppm for C. capitata and D. dorsalis and at 10 ppm D. cucurbitae. D. cucurbitae was significantly more susceptible than C. capitata and D. dorsalis at LC50. Even though adult emergence was inhibited, c95% of treated puparia contained living adults. Adults that emerged from treatments appeared normal but 10 days after emergence, 75% D. dorsalis and 64% C. capitata exposed as larvae and pupae to 4.66 ppm azadirachtin had died; 24% of D. cucurbitae exposed to 2.77 ppm azadirachtin died within 10 d after emergence. Azadirachtin had no significant effect on number of eggs laid by adult D. dorsalis and C. capitata that had survived larval-pupal treatments. D. cucurbitae controls laid significantly more eggs than adults that had survived larval-pupal treatments with 1.85 ppm. -from Authors