Sterilization of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly by Irradiation: Comparative Mating Effectiveness of Treated Pupae and Adults1

Treatment of male Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) as 2-day-old adults with 10-krad gamma irradiation did not reduce their mating effectiveness; however, the same treatment applied to pupae 2 days before adult eclosion reduced mating effectivcness about 50%. Treatment of the pupal stage with substerilizing doses of 2.5 and 5 kard did not reduce mating effectiveness, but there was no indication of hereditary transmission of sterility when partially sterile flies or their progeny were outcrossed with untreated flies.