NUTRITIONAL-VALUE AND SELECTION OF DIFFERENT DIETS BY ADULT CERATITIS-CAPITATA FLIES (DIPTERA, TEPHRITIDAE)

Experiments were conducted on adult Ceratitis capitata flies with two major objectives: to determine (1) the influence of different dietary protein and lipid concentrations on egg production, and (2) whether adult females select nutrients that provide better efficiency in terms of egg production. Sometimes proteins were found to be important for egg production after the pre-oviposition phase, with no difference among the various concentrations tested. Lipids were not essential for egg production. Proteins and lipids were poorly utilized as sources of energy, probably because of the low ingestion of these nutrients by the flies. Sucrose may be the base for the amount of diet ingested. It is not clear whether the females are able to select nutrients to increase egg producton, up to the 15th day.