Foraging Behavior of Laboratory Cultured Mediterranean Fruit Flies on Field-Caged Host Trees

Abstract

We examined the intra-tree foraging behavior of mature, individually-released, laboratory-cultured (for more than 300 generations) Mediterranean fruit fly females, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae), on field-caged potted host trees bearing different densities or qualities of host fruit (kumquats) and compared 27 behavioral trails with those of wild origin females examined earlier under the same conditions. Responses of the lab-cultured females were generally qualitatively similar to but quantitatively different from responses of the wild females.