The Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), is an endemic pest in Israel and there can be low levels of infestation of dates (Phoenix dactylifera L.). Because C. capitata is considered a quarantine pest by several major importing countries, the export of fresh dates requires the elimination of this pest. For mandarin, cold storage at 1.11°C for 15 d is considered to be an effective treatment for the elimination of C. capitata. In this study, we compared the cold tolerance of C. capitata in ‘Barhi’ dates to that of C. capitata in mandarins (Citrus unshiu Marcovitch, ‘Satsuma’). In Barhi dates, we found the third instars to be the most cold-tolerant as compared with other life stages. Ceratitis capitata in date fruits were significantly less cold-tolerant than C. capitata in Satsuma mandarins. The last viable larvae in dates and mandarins were found after 8 and 13 d of treatment, respectively, and the calculated mortality curves in the two crops were significantly different. These results demonstrate that C. capitata is more sensitive to cold treatment when in date fruits than in mandarins. Therefore, the quarantine cold treatments used to eliminate C. capitata from mandarins should be sufficiently effective if applied to fresh date fruits.
How to translate text using browser tools
1 October 2014
Cold Tolerance of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly in Date and Mandarin
Yoav Gazit,
Ruti Akiva,
Sagi Gavriel
ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE
It is not available for individual sale.
This article is only available to subscribers.
It is not available for individual sale.
It is not available for individual sale.
Journal of Economic Entomology
Vol. 107 • No. 5
October 2014
Vol. 107 • No. 5
October 2014
Ceratitis capitata
Citrus reticulata inshiu
cold treatment
Phoenix dactylifera
postharvest