In its native habitat in northern Mexico, the Mexican fruit fly is normally bivoltine, although a third generation is achieved in favorable years. The breeding cycle coincides with the phenology of the primary host plant, yellow chapote. The flies overwinter mainly in the intrapuparial stage, emerging in January-February. These flies oviposit in the spring crop of chapote. The primary population peak then occurs in the late spring to early summer (in exceptional years, both spring and summer). Females trapped during this spring peak were mostly reproductively immature, indicating emergence of new adults. Activity subsides in late summe, or at least, few flies are trapped. Then, in the fall there is a resurgence of adult activity. However, in contrast to the spring population, dissection revealed that the great majority of fall females are already gravid, indicating that they are carry-overs from the early summer population, rather than new recruits. The fall adults oviposit in October-November, producing the over-wintering population that will emerge as adults in January-February.
Species 1: Diptera Tephritidae Anastrepha ludens (Mexican fruit fly)
Keywords: bivoltinism, oviposition, chapote, Mexico
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA