KELAKUAN DAN EKOLOGI PEMBIAKAN LALAT BUAH BACTROCERA CARAMBOLAE DAN B. PAPAYAE

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Date
2000-11
Authors
LING, WEESUK
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Fruit flies, Bactrocera carambolae and B. papayae which are economically important species in the B. dorsalis complex were investigated. B. papayae attained earlier sexual maturation, higher mating propensity and intraspecific mating success compared with B. carambolae. Remating was common in both sexes of B. papayae and B. carambolae males except B. carambolae female. Both species exhibited similar courtship and sexual behavioural sequences but B. papayae males exhibited earlier courtship and were more aggressive, besides a longer courtship period and shorter time in copulation. Endogenous components present in B. carambolae male rectal gland were shown to increase with age, which corresponded with sexual maturity. These compounds were emitted by sexually mature B. carambolae males during courtship period and were more attractive to conspecific females than males. The synthetic components were able to elicit positive anemotactic response of B. carambolae female in a decreasing order of: male emission,> 6-oxo-1-nonanol > N-3-methylbutyl acetamide. A whole rectal gland extract stimulates female ovipositor extrusion, i.e. sexual acceptance stance. The age-related anti-predation effect of B. carambolae male corresponded with the changes of these endogenous components in the male rectal gland. Compound 6-oxo- 1-nonanol when topically applied onto female's thorax, was able to deter gecko predation. Comparison of the anti-predation strategy of B. carambolae and B. papayae further revealed that immature B. carambolae male < mature methyl eugenol-deprived B. carambolae male = methyl eugenol-fed B. carambo!ae male< methyl eugenol-fed B. papayae male in deterring gecko predation. The evolutionary aspects of the defensive repertoire exhibited by these fruit flies are discussed. Using gas chromatographic analysis, the phenylpropanoids (methyl eugenol metabolites) were detected in both males' rectal glands 15-min post-feeding on methyl eugenol. The accumulation profile of these phenylpropanoids showed subsequent increase with time. The phenylpropanoids were also detected in wild male rectal gland of Bactrocera spp. These findings further ascertained the ecological importance of ME in the fruit fly chemical ecology. B. papayae males exhibited a higher sensitivity, consumption and better utilization of ME with a longer storage of the phenylpropanoids than B. carambolae males. Volatile emission from B. papayae and B. carambolae males after methyl eugenol consumption were shown to contain phenylpropanoids but an improved mating performance was only observed for B. carambolae males 3 days post methyl eugenol feeding. Coniferyl alcohol, a phenylpropanoid, was demonstrated to act as a sex and male aggregation pheromones in B. carambolae. Females of both species responded to heterospecific male pheromone in a wind tunnel assay. B. papayae females preferred to mate with conspecific males while B. caranibolae female was less discriminative. In the absence of conspecific males, females of both species are likely to mate with h~_terospecific males. Pre-mating isolation, in terms of temporal, spatial and sexual factors, governs better than post-mating isolation in sexual isolation between B. carambolae and B. papayae. Hybridization bet\veen these sibling species produced hatchable eggs and viable offspring with an adult sex ratio of 1: 1 and a synchronized sexual maturity when compared with the parental species. Male pheromone analysis is found to be more effective than scanning electron microscopy or morphometric on the fruit fly genitalia in determining hybrids from the parental populations
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KELAKUAN DAN EKOLOGI PEMBIAKAN LALAT BUAH
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