The level of sterility of males of Ceratitis capita (Wiedemann) was similar when a given dose of gamma irradiation was applied to pupae in atmospheres of nitrogen, carbon dioxide or helium or in a partial vacuum. A dose of 10 krad in air was sufficient to produce 99.5% sterility in males; a dose of 16 had was required to obtain this same level of sterility when treatment was done in nitrogen, carbon dioxide, helium or partial vacuum. Males treated in each of the modified atmospheres were significantly more competitive than males treated in air; however, flies treated in nitrogen or helium were most competitive. When pupae treated in air, partial vacuum or nitrogen were packed in polyethylene bags and held for 20 h at 24°C to simulate shipping conditions, competitive values for males were 0.22, 0.56, and 0.71, respectively.
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Ohinata et al. (1977) studied this question.