IMPROVING EFFICACY OF SIT FOR TEPHRITID FLIES BY HORMONE THERAPY

• Sponsoring Institution: Agricultural Research Service/USDA
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: USDA INHOUSE
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0406961
• Project Start Date: Jun 1, 2002
• Project End Date: Sep 30, 2004
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE
(N/A)
GAINESVILLE,FL 30604

Performing Department
(N/A)

Non Technical Summary
(N/A)

Animal Health Component

0%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

100%

Applied

0%

Developmental

0%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
211	0910	1130	20%
211	0920	1130	20%
215	0910	1130	20%
215	0920	1130	20%
216	0910	2000	10%
216	0920	2000	10%

Knowledge Area
211 - Insects, Mites, and Other Arthropods Affecting Plants; 215 - Biological Control of Pests Affecting Plants; 216 - Integrated Pest Management Systems;

Subject Of Investigation
0920 - Orange; 0910 - Grapefruit;

Field Of Science
1130 - Entomology and acarology; 2000 - Chemistry;

Keywords

sterile

insect

technique

(sit)

sit

tephritid

fruit

flies

Goals / Objectives
Improve efficacy of the sterile insect technique (SIT) method for control of Mediterranean and other Tephritid fruit flies by developing and incorporating hormone supplement thearpy techniques, using juvenile hormone mimics, into mass rearing protocols used to produce sterile flies. We have documented that these therapeutic techniques accelerate development of reproductive competence and sexual signaling in the Caribbean, Mexican and Mediterranean fruit flies.

Project Methods
Will develop a hormone application method to mass rear using the Caribbean Fruit Fly as a model. Preliminary work indicates tha tincorporating hormone into food sources fed to adults after eclosion is the most facile method of hormone delivery. Will develop an application method on a small sacle (500-1000 flies). Subsets from these flies are being subjected to quality control (QC) assessments using laboratory bioassays to determine mating age, if hormone treated males are effective in mating two or more times and if virgin females choose mated hormone treated males are effective in mating two or more times and if virgin females choose mated hormone treated males over virgin untreated males. Will apply the method to rearing of Mediterranean and Mexican Fruit Flies at APHIS rearing facilities in Tapachula, Mexico and El Pino, Guatemala and Mission, Texas.

Progress 06/01/02 to 09/30/04

Outputs
4. What were the most significant accomplishments this past year? This report serves to document research conducted under a grant funded by the Florida Citrus Production Research Advisory Council. Additional details of research can be found in the report for the parent CRIS 6615- 22430-001-00D. Single most important accomplishment of FY 04. Scientists at CMAVE have discovered that addition of a small amount of protein to the diet fed to adult Caribbean fruit flies significantly improves production and release of pheromone by sterile males and enhances significantly the ability of these males to attract wild females for mating. The application of this technology to mass rearing of sterile flies used in SIT will improve efficacy of the technique for insect control significantly.

Impacts
(N/A)

Publications