COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF DIFFERENT FRUITS TO DETERMINE THE FITNESS PARAMETERS OF BACTROCERA DORSALIS (DIPTERA: TEPHRITIDAE) USING AGE-STAGE, TWO SEX LIFE TABLE

The oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis is considered a destructive and invasive quarantine pest in various countries including "Pakistan".As invasive pest populations grow in new habitats, a better understanding of the occurrence dynamics of these pests will assist in formulating prevention and control strategies.It is important to have a good understanding of life tables to monitor a field dynamic and examine the population ecology.Fitness parameters of B. dorsalis on guava, mango and apple were evaluated using the "age-stage two sex" life table.Significant differences were recorded among each stage of B. dorsalis on different fruits.The incubation period of eggs on guava, mango and apple was 3.03, 3.56, and 3.53 days, respectively.The mean developmental period of 3 rd instar larvae fed on guava, mango and apple was 3.58 0.13, 3.75 0.18 and 5.00 0.14 days, respectively.The pupal duration was recorded lowest (7.58 0.17 d) on guava as compared to other treatments i.e., mango (10.95 0.17 d) and apple (11.62 0.22 d).Adult longevity was higher (105.00 0.63 d) on guava fed larvae than on other treatments.Moreover, a significant difference was recorded in fecundity on the tested hosts i.e., 1242.45 eggs on guava, 989.09 eggs on mango and 801.72 eggs on apple.The data showed that guava is the most suitable host on which the highest fitness parameters were recorded and the lowest on apple.Thus, the pulp of fully ripened guava fruit can be used in attractant baits to monitor and manage this economic pest.