RESPONSE OF WILD AND LABORATORY-REARED CERATITIS-CAPITATA WIED (DIPT, TEPHRITIDAE) FLIES FROM DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHIC ORIGINS TO A STANDARD HOST MARKING PHEROMONE SOLUTION

The response of 12 populations of Ceratitis capitata Wied. to host marking pheromone (HMP) eliciting oviposition deterrence was investigated by a group of scientists under the framework of the Global IOBC Working Group on Fruit Flies of Economic Importance. A new semi-natural bioassay with fruits as oviposition substrates had been developed and was applied to local medfly strains in Argentina, Brazil, Greece, Hawaii, Mexico, Reunion Island and five laboratory strains in Switzerland. The results show that all geographic strains responded in a comparable fashion to the standard HMP solution and that laboratory strains with extremely long rearing histories have still retained a reduced capability to perceive and to react to the deterrent properties of HMP. The potential use of HMP in the management of medfly populations is discussed.