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Foraging Behavior of Anastrepha Ludens, A. obliqua, and A. serpentina in Response to Feces Extracts Containing Host Marking Pheromone

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Abstract

Following oviposition, females of many Tephritid flies deposit host marking pheromones (HMPs) to indicate that the host fruit has been occupied. We describe the foraging behavior of these three economically important species (Anastrepha ludens and A. obliqua from the fraterculus species group and A. serpentina from the serpentina species group) when they encounter an artificial fruit (green agar spheres wrapped in Parafilm) marked with intra- and interspecific feces extracts that contain, among other substances, host marking pheromone. When flies encountered fruit treated with either 1 or 100 mg/ml feces extract, there were drastic and statistically significant reductions in tree residence time, mean time spent on fruit, and in the number of oviposition attempts or actual ovipositions when compared to the control treatment (clean fruit). These responses were almost identical irrespective of extract origin (i.e., fly species), indicating complete interspecific HMP cross-recognition by all three Anastrepha species tested. We discuss the ecological and practical implications of our findings.

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Acknowledgments

We are indebted to Jesús Reyes-Flores, former director of the Mexican Campaña Nacional Contra Moscas de la Fruta for encouraging us to conduct this research and for facilitating our research. We thank S. Aceituno, J. Arredondo, J.L. Márquez, and F. Avendaño (all Programa MoscaMed, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico) for expert assistance during field collections, fly feces collections and maintenance of study insects. We thank Walther Enkerlin, Dina Orozco, Juan Rull, Carlos Fredersdorff, and Pablo Montoya (all Programa MoscaMed, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico) for providing materials, laboratory equipment, and providing critical administrative support. Javier Valle Mora (El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico) offered statistical advice and Nicoletta Righini (Instituto de Ecología, A.C.) helped during the writing and formatting stages. Finally, we acknowledge the insightful reviews by the two referees and an associate editor. This work was principally financed by the Mexican Campaña Nacional Contra Moscas de la Fruta (Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural y Pesca–Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura [SAGARPA–IICA]). We also received a series of anonymous donations.

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  1. Francisco Díaz-Fleischer

    Present address: LABIOTECA, Universidad Veracruzana, Apartado Postal 250, 91090, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico

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  1. Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Apartado Postal 63, 91000, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico

    Martin Aluja

  2. Campaña Nacional Contra Moscas de la Fruta, Apartado Postal 368, 30700, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico

    Francisco Díaz-Fleischer

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Aluja, M., Díaz-Fleischer, F. Foraging Behavior of Anastrepha Ludens, A. obliqua, and A. serpentina in Response to Feces Extracts Containing Host Marking Pheromone. J Chem Ecol 32, 367–389 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-005-9007-6

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