Effect of sucrose ingestion on the performance of wild Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart) females (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Abstract

To evaluate the effects of sucrose on the performance and diet preference of A. obliqua, collected from Spondias lutea [S. mombin] and S. dulcis, the following were studied: (1) effect of different amount of sucrose on diet ingestion, longevity and egg production; (2) dietary selection that contains different amounts of sucrose, and (3) discrimination threshold for sucrose in adult individuals deprived or not of carbohydrates. The control diet (6.5 g brewer's yeast, 11.0 g sucrose, 100.0 ml distilled water, 3.0 g agar-agar and 1.5 ml nipagin in 20% alcohol) showed the best results in relation to ingestion, longevity and egg production for these species, probably because it presents an optimum nutritional balance between sucrose and yeast. The control diet was also the preferred diet of females, indicating a positive correlation between the nutritional value of a diet and chemical perception by A. obliqua. Sucrose-deprived females were able to perceive lower carbohydrate quantity than non-deprived females. This characteristic might represent a biological advantage since it reduces the food foraging time for these insects