Seasonal Changes in Resightings of Marked, Wild Rhagoletis pomonella (Diptera: Tephritidae) Flies in Nature

Abstract
We observed individually marked, wild male and female apple maggot flies (AMF) on a host apple tree for 24 days. Although we resighted a fairly high proportion (30.6%) of 599 marked flies, we observed most flies (74.9%) only during the first week after marking and release. Following the onset of reproductive maturity, as evidenced by mating and oviposition, we saw males over more consecutive days than females. This presumably occurred due to male arrestment following contact with female marking pheromone deposited on fruit. Peak diel time of mating by unmarked flies corresponded more closely with peak time of observation of marked males rather than marked females. We estimate some adult AMF may live up to 4 weeks in nature.

This publication has 11 references indexed in Scilit: