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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Hilo, Hawaii » Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center » Tropical Crop and Commodity Protection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #302523
Title: Sexual communication in Tephritidae-current knowledge and potential applications for integrated pest management

Author
item BENELLI, GIVANNI - University Of Pisa
item DAANE, KENT - University Of California
item CANALE, ANGELO - University Of Pisa
item NIU, CHANG-YING - Huazhong Agricultural University
item MESSING, RUSSELL - University Of Hawaii
item Vargas, Roger

Submitted to: Journal of Pest Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/29/2014
Publication Date: 9/20/2014
Citation: Benelli, G., Daane, K.M., Canale, A., Niu, C., Messing, R.H., Vargas, R.I. 2014. Sexual communication in Tephritidae-current knowledge and potential applications for integrated pest management. Journal of Pest Science. doi: 10.1007/s10340-014-0577-3.

Interpretive Summary: Diptera Tephritidae are an enormous threat to fruit and vegatable production throughout the world, causing both quantitative and qualitative losses. Investigating mating behavioural sequences could help to unravel mate choice dynamics, adding useful information to build behaviour-based control strategies. We examine features and the role of the male-male combat in lekking site, physical and chemical cues affecting mating dynamics and some fitness friendly female behaviours that occur at oviposition sites. We outline future perspectives and potential contributions of knowledge about sexual communication to Integrated Pest Management programs for tephritid pests. Screening of current knowledge was based on the occurrence of papers with key words and 436 studies were identified for review. Male-and female-borne sex pheromones and an overview about the occurrence of the oviposition marking behaviour in tephritid flies are summarized. Further research on the role of Oviposition Marking Pheremones(OMP) could offer a eco-friendly strategy in IPM programs. In addition, research on sensitizing or training mass-reared tephritid parasitoids on OMPs in the pre-release phase, could improve their post-release performances in the field.

Technical Abstract: Diptera Tephritidae are an enormous threat to fruit and vegetable production throughout the world, causing both quantitative and qualitative losses. Investigating mating behavioural sequences could help to unravel mate choice dynamics, adding useful information to build behaviour-based control strategies. We review knowledge about sexual communication in Tephritidae with a focus on five key agricultural pests: Anastrepha ludens, Bactrocera dorsalis, Bactrocera oleae, Ceratitis capitata and Rhagoletis pomonella. We examine features and the role of male-male combat in lekking sites, physical and chemical cues affecting mating dynamics and some fitness friendly female behaviours that occur at oviposition sites (the use of oviposition marking pheromones and female-female fights for single oviposition sites). We outline future perspectives and potential contributions of knowledge about sexual communication to Integrated Pest Management programs for tephritid pests. Sexually selected traits are frequently good indicators of male fitness and knowledge of sexual selection processes may contribute to the implementation of the sterile insect technique, to select genotypes with high reproductive success, and to promote sexually selected phenotypes through mass-rearing optimization. Furthermore, the male's exposure to parapheromones, such as phenyl propanoids (PP), ginger root oil and trimedlure can enhance the mating success of sterile flies used in SIT programs. PP are also a powerful tool to improve reduced-risk monitoring dispensers and the Male Annihilation Technique, with low side effects on non-target insects. Lastly, we outline the possibility to sensitize or train mass-reared parasitoids on oviposition marking pheromones in the pre-release phase, in order to improve their post-release performance in the field.