Absolute Population Estimates using Marking Techniques

Evaluation of Readmission Ink as a Marker for Dispersal Studies with the Oriental Fruit Fly,Bactrocera dorsalis

“…Each material or technique has differing degrees of effectiveness, and some have shown to be more suitable for specific insects over others ( Hunt et al 2000 ; Vilarinho et al 2006 ). An effective marker is one that is durable, inexpensive, nontoxic, easy to apply and identify, and does not affect normal behavior, growth, fecundity, or life span ( Akey 1991 ; Southwood and Henderson 2000 ; Hagler and Jackson 2001 ).…”

“…Depending on the marking technique used, identification of recaptured insects in a mark-release-recapture technique can be time consuming, especially when dealing with large numbers of wild specimens in the sample. In the use of DayGlo dye (DayGlo, www.dayglo.com ), which is frequently used in fruit fly studies, the head of each captured fly must be excised and crushed with acetone in order to visually determine the presence or lack of the dye under blacklight ( Peck and McQuate 2004 ; Southwood and Henderson 2000 ). In some cases, minute particles of DayGlo dye can be detected on the body, or in rare cases the ptilinum can be examined under a stereo microscope ( McInnis et al 2007 ).…”