No abstract

The sterile insect technique (SIT) requires the rearing, sterilization, and release of large numbers of insects to induce sterility within wild pest populations. In 1992, the Mexican government launched a national campaign against economically important fruit fly pests, with the aim of establishing free areas and strengthening fruit exports. To achieve these objectives, the Moscafrut facility began operations in 1993 with the mass rearing of Anastrepha ludens (Loew) (Diptera: Tephritidae: Toxotrypanini) and in 2002 with Anastrepha obliqua (McQuart). Field releases of sterile insects began in the north of the country, and currently 51% of the country is free of these pests. In this review, we describe the mass‐rearing process and the quality control tests used in the production of the above‐mentioned species. As a case study, we also describe the achievements of applying the SIT against A. ludens populations in the citrus‐growing zone of the state of San Luis Potosí, which has resulted in dramatic reductions in both wild fly populations and the use of chemical sprays. We discuss the implications, achievements, and perspectives regarding the use of this technology to control Anastrepha pests in Mexico.

The effects of irradiation doses increasing from 0 to 100 Gy (1 Gy is energy absorbed in J kg(-1) of irradiated material) on fertility, flight ability, survival, and sterile male mating performance were evaluated for mass-reared Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart). High sterility values (> 98.2%) for irradiated males were obtained for doses as low as 25 Gy. Egg hatch was inhibited for irradiated males crossed with irradiated females at a low dose of 20 Gy. However, we estimated that to achieve 99.9% sterility (standard goal of many sterile insect technique programs), irradiation doses had to be increased to a dose between 50 and 75 Gy. At doses of 25 Gy and greater, we observed a decreasing trend in adult flight ability and an increasing trend in adult mortality. Such differences were greater for pupae irradiated at a young age compared those irradiated 24 h before emergence. Our single most relevant finding was that sterility induction (i.e., oviposition of nonfertilized eggs) was two times greater for males irradiated at low doses (40 Gy) than for males irradiated at high doses (80 Gy) when used at a 3:1:1 sterilized male to fertile male to fertile female ratio. Males irradiated at high doses may have been outcompeted by unirradiated males when courting unirradiated females. Implications of our findings for sterile insect technique programs are discussed.

Fruit flies are the most economically important group of phytophagous flies worldwide. Whereas the ecological role of bacteria associated with tephritid fruit fly species of the genera Bactrocera and Ceratitis has been demonstrated, the diversity of the bacterial community in Anastrepha has been poorly characterized. This study represents the first comprehensive analysis of the bacterial community in the gut of larvae and adults of Anastrepha ludens, A. obliqua, A. serpentina, and A. striata using 454 pyrosequencing. A total of four phyla, seven classes, 11 families, and 27 bacterial genera were identified. Proteobacteria was the most represented phylum, followed by Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Deinococcus-Thermus. The genera Citrobacter, Enterobacter, Escherichia, Klebsiella, and Raoultella were dominant in all samples analyzed. In general, the bacterial community diversity in adult flies was higher in species with a broader diet breadth than species with a restricted number of hosts, whereas it was also higher in adults versus larvae. Differences in bacterial communities in adults might be determined by the number of fruit species infested. Lastly, the predictive functional profile analysis suggested that community members may participate in metabolic pathways related to membrane transport and metabolism of carbohydrates, amino acids, cofactors, and lipids. These results provide the basis for the study of unexplored functional roles of bacteria in this insect group.

The present study constitutes the first attempt to construct a polytene chromosome map of an Anastrepha species, Anastrepha ludens (Loew), a major agricultural pest. The mitotic karyotype has a diploid complement of 12 acrocentric chromosomes, including five pairs of autosomes and an XX/XY sex chromosome pair. The analysis of salivary gland polytene chromosomes has shown a total number of five polytene elements that correspond to the five autosomes. The characteristic features and the most prominent landmarks of each chromosome are described. By comparing chromosome banding patterns, the possible chromosomal homology between A. ludens and Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) is presented. This work shows that polytene maps of A. ludens are suitable for cytogenetic studies in this species and may be used as reference for other Anastrepha species, most of which are also serious agricultural pests.

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Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is arguably the most important tephritid attacking fruits after Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae). In 2003 it was found in Africa and quickly spread to most of the sub-Saharan part of the continent, destroying fruits and creating regulatory barriers to their export. The insect is causing new nutritional and economic losses across Africa, as well as the losses it has caused for decades in infested areas of Asia, New Guinea, and Hawaii. This new panorama represents a challenge for fruit exportation from Africa. Phytosanitary treatments are required to export quarantined commodities out of infested areas to areas where the pest does not exist and could become established. This paper describes current phytosanitary treatments against B. dorsalis and their use throughout the world, the development of new treatments based on existing research, and recommendations for further research to provide phytosanitary solutions to the problem.

-We evaluated three packing systems (PARC boxes, "GT" screen towers and "MX" screen towers) for the emergence and sexual maturation of sterile fruit fl ies, at three adult fl y densities (1, 1.2 and 1.3 fl y/cm 2 ) and three food types. At the lowest density, results showed no signifi cant differences in the longevity and fl ight ability of adult Anastrepha ludens (Loew) and Anastrepha obliqua Macquart among the three packing systems. Higher densities resulted in a decrease in these parameters. In the evaluation of the three food types, no signifi cant differences were found either on longevity or fl ight ability of A. ludens. However, the greatest longevity for both sexes A. obliqua was obtained with commercial powdered Mb ® and the mix of sugar, protein and corn starch on paper (SPCP) food types. The highest value for fl ight ability in A. obliqua males was obtained with powdered Mb ® and SPCP food types, and for females with Mb ® powdered food. Our data indicated that GT and MX screen tower packing systems are an alternative to the PARC boxes, since they were suitable for adult fl y sexual maturation without any harm to their longevity or fl ight ability. The tested foods were equivalent in both fruit fl y species, with the exception of the agar type for A. obliqua, which yielded the lowest biological parameters evaluated. Our results contribute to the application of new methods for the packing and release of sterile fl ies in large-scale programs.