Effects of essential amino acids on phagostimulation and reproduction in adults of the Mediterranean fruit fly

Amino acids are essential nutrients that build proteins and regulate metabolic and developmental processes. Most are vital for development and reproduction, with their importance varying with the organism's life stage and reproductive status. This study examined the phagostimulation effects and reproductive impacts of individual essential amino acids and a mixture of non‐essential amino acids in adult Mediterranean fruit flies, Ceratitis capitata . The amino acid solutions tested lacked lipids and vitamins, with fructose added to the PBS solution. The Phagostimulation Unit Bioassay (PUB) was used to measure diet ingestion, and reproductive parameters were recorded from individual couples. Several amino acids, including Methionine, Arginine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Lysine and the non‐essential amino acids mixture, showed stronger phagostimulation than fructose alone. Lysine and positive control increased egg production, whereas Arginine, Methionine and Histidine showed a high probability of constantly producing eggs throughout the investigated period. Eggs from female flies fed on the positive control, Arginine, Methionine, Phenylalanine and Histidine diets hatched more than those on fructose. A relationship was found between the constancy of egg production and phagostimulation. Results are discussed in terms of the roles of amino acids in reproduction and feeding neural activity. We highlight the implications for mass rearing and male competitiveness in sterile insect technique programs, particularly regarding amino acids like Arginine.