Nutritional and ecological research using nuclear techniques for the control of the olive fruit fly

Instrumental neutron activation analysis was used to determine the mineral composition of the olive fruit fly and of its food. The contents of the natural (olive fruit) and artificial food of larvae were determined for the presence of Na, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Zn and Cu. It was found that the natural food contained 26 times less Na, 20 times less Cu and double the amount of K compared with the artificial diet. In addition Mn, Cu, Al, Cr, Zn, Co and Rb contents in newly emerged and unfed olive fruit flies grown as larvae under natural and laboratory conditions were determined. It was found that the two types of insects differed in the quantities of the first five elements. The significance of these results and the limiting factors involved in studying the nutrition and ecology of this insect are discussed. (author). 22 refs, 2 tabs