Need for Immediate Sugar and Ability to Withstand Thirst by Newly Emerged Oriental Fruit Flies, Melon Flies, and Mediterranean Fruit Flies Untreated or Sexually Sterilized with Gamma Radiation1

Abstract

In tests conducted in the laboratory of the Honolulu Fruit Fly Investigations from 1966-67 with the oriental fruit fly, Dacus dorsalis Hendel; the melon fly, D. cucurbilae Coquillett; and the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), newly emerged flies were placed on 7 different regimens that included sugar, dry hydrolyzed protein, or water, or combinations of these. Results showed that only sugar was critical for survival and that flies could survive several days in cages without water. From these findings, it may be possible to control fruit flies in a large-scale program in which sexually sterilized flies are released by using holding containers that are furnished with sugar cubes instead of the usual cotton material saturated with a solution of sugar and water. Newly emerged sterilized flies survived as well as nonsterilized flies on each deprivation regimen.