BIOLOGY AND CHEMICAL STERILIZATION OF THE FRUIT FLY DACUS CUCUMIS FRENCH (DIPTERA: TEPHRITIDAE)

Hitherto unavailable data on the biology and reproduction of Dacus cucumis French is presented. Sterilization of both sexes was achieved by topical application, tarsal contact, and oral administration of both metepa and hempa. Following topical application metepa was a better sterilant than hempa with male flies, but the reverse was true with females. When offered to adult flies in sugar, hempa was a better sterilant than metepa with both sexes and females required higher doses than males for complete sterility. At high levels of sterility the competitiveness of treated flies was reduced, but the data suggest, that following oral administration, hempa was less deleterious than metepa. Copyrigh