Temperature-Dependent Pupation Depth in the Oriental Fruit Fly <i>Bactrocera dorsalis</i> and Its Implications for Biological Control

The oriental fruit fly, <i>Bactrocera dorsalis</i> (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is a notable agricultural pest that undergoes pupation in the soil. Mortality risk from predation and parasitism decreases as the depth of the pupal location increases from the ground surface, with a one-...

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Main Authors: Mu-Rung Lin, Toshinori Okuyama
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Insects
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/15/11/873
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author Mu-Rung Lin
Toshinori Okuyama
author_facet Mu-Rung Lin
Toshinori Okuyama
author_sort Mu-Rung Lin
collection DOAJ
description The oriental fruit fly, <i>Bactrocera dorsalis</i> (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is a notable agricultural pest that undergoes pupation in the soil. Mortality risk from predation and parasitism decreases as the depth of the pupal location increases from the ground surface, with a one-centimetre increase in depth causing a significant change. Soil properties, such as moisture and hardness, influence pupation depth, but the effect of temperature has not been fully tested. This laboratory study examined whether a biologically important variation in pupation depth (e.g., one centimetre) is caused by naturally experienced temperature variations (20 to 35 °C) in <i>B. dorsalis</i>. The temperature–pupation depth relationship revealed a unimodal pattern, with the deepest pupation occurring at intermediate temperature levels and shallower pupation at the two extreme temperature ranges. Strong quantitative effects were observed, with the highest mean pupation depth of 40.8 mm at 27.5 °C and the lowest mean pupation depth of 15 mm at 35 °C. The observed quantitative effect suggests that temperature can strongly affect pupal mortality from predators and parasitoids by influencing pupation depth. Future studies that reveal the ability of biological control agents to forage underground for pupae at different temperatures are awaited, as this is key information for evaluating the effectiveness of these agents.
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spelling doaj-art-ff3f51a0a8c447329b9bac0db031ec932024-11-26T18:07:09ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502024-11-01151187310.3390/insects15110873Temperature-Dependent Pupation Depth in the Oriental Fruit Fly <i>Bactrocera dorsalis</i> and Its Implications for Biological ControlMu-Rung Lin0Toshinori Okuyama1Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, TaiwanDepartment of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, TaiwanThe oriental fruit fly, <i>Bactrocera dorsalis</i> (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is a notable agricultural pest that undergoes pupation in the soil. Mortality risk from predation and parasitism decreases as the depth of the pupal location increases from the ground surface, with a one-centimetre increase in depth causing a significant change. Soil properties, such as moisture and hardness, influence pupation depth, but the effect of temperature has not been fully tested. This laboratory study examined whether a biologically important variation in pupation depth (e.g., one centimetre) is caused by naturally experienced temperature variations (20 to 35 °C) in <i>B. dorsalis</i>. The temperature–pupation depth relationship revealed a unimodal pattern, with the deepest pupation occurring at intermediate temperature levels and shallower pupation at the two extreme temperature ranges. Strong quantitative effects were observed, with the highest mean pupation depth of 40.8 mm at 27.5 °C and the lowest mean pupation depth of 15 mm at 35 °C. The observed quantitative effect suggests that temperature can strongly affect pupal mortality from predators and parasitoids by influencing pupation depth. Future studies that reveal the ability of biological control agents to forage underground for pupae at different temperatures are awaited, as this is key information for evaluating the effectiveness of these agents.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/15/11/873host–parasitoid interactionsTephritidaepupation depthtemperaturesoil
spellingShingle Mu-Rung Lin
Toshinori Okuyama
Temperature-Dependent Pupation Depth in the Oriental Fruit Fly <i>Bactrocera dorsalis</i> and Its Implications for Biological Control
Insects
host–parasitoid interactions
Tephritidae
pupation depth
temperature
soil
title Temperature-Dependent Pupation Depth in the Oriental Fruit Fly <i>Bactrocera dorsalis</i> and Its Implications for Biological Control
title_full Temperature-Dependent Pupation Depth in the Oriental Fruit Fly <i>Bactrocera dorsalis</i> and Its Implications for Biological Control
title_fullStr Temperature-Dependent Pupation Depth in the Oriental Fruit Fly <i>Bactrocera dorsalis</i> and Its Implications for Biological Control
title_full_unstemmed Temperature-Dependent Pupation Depth in the Oriental Fruit Fly <i>Bactrocera dorsalis</i> and Its Implications for Biological Control
title_short Temperature-Dependent Pupation Depth in the Oriental Fruit Fly <i>Bactrocera dorsalis</i> and Its Implications for Biological Control
title_sort temperature dependent pupation depth in the oriental fruit fly i bactrocera dorsalis i and its implications for biological control
topic host–parasitoid interactions
Tephritidae
pupation depth
temperature
soil
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/15/11/873
work_keys_str_mv AT murunglin temperaturedependentpupationdepthintheorientalfruitflyibactroceradorsalisianditsimplicationsforbiologicalcontrol
AT toshinoriokuyama temperaturedependentpupationdepthintheorientalfruitflyibactroceradorsalisianditsimplicationsforbiologicalcontrol