Comparison of Dispersal Ability and Longevity for Wild and Mass-Reared Melon Flies, Dacus cucurbitae COQUILLETT (Diptera: Tephritidae), Under Field Conditions

Abstract

The dispersal rate and longevity of the melon fly, Dacus cucurbitae COQUILLETT, were compared for wild and mass-reared strains under field conditions at Ishigaki Is., Okinawa, Japan from 1978 to 1979. The wild strain was reared with squash for 3 generations, and the mass-reared strain was given an artificial diet for 29–39 generations after colonization. Flies of the wild strain travelled a greater distance than those from the mass-rearing. The longevity of flies in the wild strain was also longer than for those in the mass-reared strain. From these results, it was ascertained that some deterioration in the quality of flies had occurred in the course of mass-rearing. © 1981, JAPANESE SOCIETY OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY AND ZOOLOGY. All rights reserved.