Comparative evaluation of two different coloured-pupal strains of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly, Ceratitis Capitata (Wied.) and some biological effects of gamma radiation on both of them

Dark spontaneous mutant pupae were isolated from brown laboratory reared pupae of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly, Ceratitis Capitata (Wied). This mutant was used construct a genetic sexing strain (G.S.S.) based on pupal sorting. Obtained data showed that there were no clear biological differences between the brown pupa wild-type) and dark pupae (mutant). Fecundity, %pupation, pupal size, pupal weight, % adults emergence, sex ratio, male mating competitiveness and male insemination females mated with studied. However, the present hatch ability of eggs laid by normal females mated with normal males emerging from the dark pupae was significantly reduced, compared to that of the brown pupae. No significant differences regarding the effects of gamma radiation (90 Gy) on all biological aspects were observed in both strains