Suppression of the Mediterranean fruit fly or medfly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), in a semi-isolated area in Cyprus by the use of the sterile-insect technique

Data from an island-wide trapping survey and from test releases of 28 million medfly were used in the study. The flies were reared at 23 +-20C and a 14-hr photoperiod, in organdy cylindrical cages containing 50,000-60,000 pupae/cage. The adult diet was a 3:1 enzymatic yeast hydrolysate: sugar mixture with water separate. The cages were kept for 15-17 days and produced ca. 6 x 106 eggs/cage. Pupae were produced on trays loaded with 1.5 kg. of specified medium, and yielded 17,000-20,000 pupae after 9-10 days. They were subsequently irradiated 24-28 hrs before emergence with 9 krad of γ-rays, and labelled. Pupae were packaged, at 21 of pupae/plastic bag. Details of final packaging, transport and release methods and rates are given. The absence of a suitable host of 2-3 months would be sufficient to break the medfly cycle. Data on larval infestation in sour and jaffa oranges, apricots and figs were obtained, the most dramatic difference in infestation between two villages being ovserved in figs. Some empty (infertile) stings in stone fruits occurred