Monday, 18 November 2002
D0116

This presentation is part of : Student Competition Display Presentations, Subsection Cd. Behavior and Ecology

Observations of captive blueberry maggot fly,Rhagoletis mendax (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Sara L Bushmann, Francis A. Drummond, and Randy Alford. University of Maine, Department of Biological Sciences, 5722 Deering Hall, Orono, ME

In Maine the Blueberry Maggot Fly (Rhagoletis mendax) is an elusive animal that is difficult to observe in the wild. Observation of captive adults was undertaken in order to begin documenting maggot fly behaviors that have not yet been described. Blueberry maggot fly pupae were collected from the fruit of lowbush blueberry plants (V. angustifolium) in Maine. The adults were reared under laboratory conditions and held in plexiglass cages during the months of June, July, and August of 2002. Females were observed to copulate with more than one male. Females fed a protein poor diet did not mature eggs but nevertheless accepted copulations. Flies of both sexes congregated high on the lighted side of the cages. When a male mounted a female the pair would fly away from the congregation, usually to the bottom of the cage. No precopulatory physical communication between males and females was discerned.

Species 1: diptera tephritidae Rhagoletis mendax
Keywords: maggot fly, mating behavior

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