Evaluation of Using Certain Sources of Protien for Feeding Mediterranean Fruit Flies, Ceratitis capitata Adults

Mass rearing cost is one of the important tools for successful implementation the sterile insect technique (SIT) programme.  Yeast hydrolyzed (YH) is an effective protein source for feeding the adult flies of C. capitata and widely used in the mass rearing facilities in spite of it is imported product in many countries and very expensive.  Three local protein sources, meat bone meal (MBM), plant protein meal (PPM) and soybean protein (SP) were evaluated as adult feed instead of YH. The life span of adult flies, fecundity, fertility and the other reproductive biology were studied to explore the feasibility of these alternative protein sources for maintaining the performance of medfly colony. The results indicated that the fecundity and fertility were drastically reduced in the case of using the three protein sources as compared with the stander one (YH). While, the percentages of adult survival of male and female flies were relatively similar in the different protein sources and it was clearly higher than those fed on only sugar. The results revealed that when the tested protein sources were supplied with YH (1:1), the reproductive biology parameters were improved, the percentages of egg hatch were insignificantly increased to (84.1, 83.5 and 82.4 %) in YH/PPM, YH/MBM and YH/SP treatments, respectively as compared to YH (80.6%). Also, in the same treatments, the egg laid per female per day were higher (24.5, 23.4 and 22.6 eggs/day), respectively than YH tratment (22.2 eggs/day). Moreover, the pupation were significantly reduced and the larval durations were prolonged in PPM, MBM and SP treatments and not affected in YH/PPM, YH/MBM and YH/SP treatments as compared to YH treatment. The results indicated that the three commercial protein sources were effective dietaries when used with the yeast hydrolysate at the ratio 1:1, this procedure will significantly diminished the mass rearing cost of C. capitata.