SUSCEPTIBILITY OF MEDITERRANEAN FRUIT-FLY, MELON FLY, AND ORIENTAL FRUIT-FLY (DIPTERA, TEPHRITIDAE) TO THE ENTOMOGENOUS NEMATODE STEINERNEMA-FELTIAE IN LABORATORY TESTS

Late third instars of Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann); melon fly, Dacus cucurbitae Coquillett; and oriental fruit fly, D. dorsalis Hendel, that had exited the media to pupate were exposed to five concentrations of Steinernema feltiae (= Neoaplectana carpocapsae) ranging from 500,000 to 5,000 per cup. Mean corrected percent mortalities 6 days after exposure ranged from 92 to 9% for Mediterranean fruit fly, 85 to 9% for the oriental fruit fly, and 86 to 0% for melon fly. Emerging Mediterranean fruit fly adults were marginally susceptible at 0.2% verified infection, and pupae in puparia were not susceptible to S. feltiae.