Comparative study of the developmental biology of three species of fruit flies (Ceratitis spp.) (Diptera : Tephritidae), pests of fruit crops on Reunion Island

Fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) are the most damaging pests on fruit crops on Réunion Island. Survival and development of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), the Natal fruit fly, C. rosa (Karsch) and the Mascarene fruit fly, C. catoirii Guérin-Mèneville, were compared at five constant temperatures from 15 to 35°C. The lower developmental threshold and the thermal constant were calculated using the temperature summation model. Survival and development of the species differed mainly in the larval stage and the ovarian maturation period, whereas few differences were found in the egg stage. C. rosa appeared to be better adapted to low temperatures than the other two species. C. catoirii had a low survival rate on the overall range of temperatures studied. The different responses of the three Ceratitis species at various temperatures may to some extent explain their distribution on the island. The results obtained will be used for optimizing laboratory-rearing methods. Furthermore, our data will be useful for constructing computer simulation models to predict the population dynamics of the three species of fruit flies. (Résumé d'auteur