ABSTRACT
The first morphological mutant in the medfly was reported from Hawaii in 1973. This chapter summarizes the status of the formal genetics of the medfly, updates the information on the morphological, biochemical, and functional loci, that have been isolated and studied in the various laboratories, presents the genetic maps known, and points at the needs for further studies. Translocations have been the most studied chromosome aberrations in the medfly. This was due to: the low number of mutations isolated and described to study other aberrations, and the urgent need for a genetic sexing system. The study of the genetics of the medfly resulted from practical needs created by the implementation of the Sterile-Insect-Technique of that pest. Genetic research of the Mediterranean fruit fly has been reported from 14 laboratories in 1987. Some of them showed some degree of coordination through the hospices of the Food and Agriculture Organization/ International Atomic Energy Agency coordinated research program on Sterile insect technique.
