Recent advances on Tephritid fruit fly research and development for improved Sterile Insect Technique application

The application of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) against tephritid fruit fly pests as a component of area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) programmes is gaining momentum, with active programmes targeting major pest species in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Asia, Africa and Australia. Several billion insects are being mass- reared and irradiated every week in factories in many locations in the world, and shipped (as pupae) to their destinations where emerging flies are fed and prepared for aerial release in emergence/release facilities. The exigencies of the industrial process often affect the biological qualities of the final product. Reducing the impact of the process on product quality and improving the sexual performance of sterile male flies released into the field is the objective of recent studies implemented by coordinated research networks and involving many collaborators. Among them we highlight: (1) advances in the mass rearing of olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae); (2) development of X ray sterilization as an alternative to gamma rays from radioisotope 60Co or 137Cs sources (3) effect of nutritional supplements to adult diet on mating success and survival of sterile tephritid males for various species of the genera Anastrepha, Bactrocera and Ceratitis; (4) effects of hormone supplements on accelerating reproductive development and improving the mating performance of sterile males for various species of the genera Anastrepha, Bactrocera and Ceratitis; and (5) use of semiochemicals, such as ginger root oil and citrus oils, to improve the sexual performance of males of C. capitata. Several of these advances have been successfully assessed in pilot tests or are already being implemented for some tephritid species in operational SIT programmes.