Beyond strain maintenance: Pre‐Filter, a viable practice to incorporate desirable traits to genetic sexing strains (GSS) of <i>Ceratitis capitata</i> used in sterile insect technique (SIT) control programs

The sterile insect technique (SIT) for controlling the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), requires the mass-rearing of males in bio-facilities. This study summarizes the implementation of a Pre-Filter system in the mass-rearing process of C. capitata at the Moscamed program's El Pino facility in Guatemala. The Pre-Filter selection process as presented here was aimed to increase the longevity of the VIENNA 8 D53- strain males released for pest control. Over a 9-year period (2015-2024), the longevity of these males was systemically monitored, and the impact of the Pre-Filter system on mortality, half-life, and survival rate were analyzed. Results indicated a significant reduction in mortality at 48 h, declining from 16.47% in 2017 to 2.56% in 2024. Concurrently, the half-life of males increased from 79.55 h in 2018 to 85.97 h in 2024. The Pre-Filter system shifted the frequency distribution of half-lives toward longer durations, with a peak observed between 76.14 and 86.14 h, whereas populations without the Pre-Filter exhibited shorter half-lives, peaking between 56.14 and 66.14 h. Comparative analyses with historical data (2005-2024) demonstrated that the Pre-Filter system significantly improved the male longevity, compared to pre-implementation periods during which mortality rates were higher and more variable. Additionally, the results revealed a gradual reduction in longevity variability within the population, indicating a more homogeneous longevity among the mass-reared males.