Interaction of Host Stimuli in the Ovipositional Response of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Ovipositional preference of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann, was examined using artificial hosts. Females laid significantly more eggs in larger hosts, spherical hosts, green and blue hosts, and they avoided hosts with papaya extract. Patterns of oviposition in tests with pairwise combinations of different host attributes showed that these preferences are integrated hierarchically. The preferred host shape was chosen over the preferred color, and host color was selected over fruit extract. Host size was the most important characteristic involved in eliciting oviposition by medflies.