Genetically-mediated responsiveness of male oriental fruit flies, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), to methyl eugenol affects mating competitiveness: implications for areawide management.

Key Points

• The aim is to investigate how genetically-mediated responses to methyl eugenol affect male mating competitiveness in Bactrocera dorsalis.
• Evaluated reproductive capacity of ME non-responsive and ME-fed males
• Assessed competitive behaviors under methyl eugenol exposure
• Analyzed implications for area-wide management strategies
• ME non-responsive males maintain similar reproductive capacity compared to ME-fed males
• Higher ME exposure increases male competitiveness but may benefit non-responsive males
• Findings suggest limits to the efficacy of ME-based management approaches in the field