ABSTRACT
Half of the production resulting from all of the Mediterranean fruit fly mass rearing facilities, however, consists of sterile females. The development of Mediterranean fruit fly strain Vienna-42 at the International Atomic Energy Agency Laboratories at Seibersdorf represents an important step in the pursuit of more viable Mediterranean fruit fly genetic sexing strains. Wild and laboratory males were marked various days before testing with different colors on the thorax to distinguish them in the field cages. Mating females were also marked after separation from copulation to detect rematings. The main criteria compared during the field-cage study involved matings and rematings achieved by both types of males; however other activities such as pheromone-calling and female attraction were also quantified.
