Anoxia-conditioning hormesis alters the relationship between irradiation doses for survival and sterility in the cactus moth, Cactoblastis cactorum (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Abstract One of the most important components of a program that has a sterile insect technique (SIT) component is an appropriate irradiation dose. Knowing the organismal dose-response enables the selection of a dose that induces the highest level of sterility while preserving the sexual competitiveness and other desired qualities of the sterile insect. Finding this balance in Lepidoptera is crucial because of the use of inherited (F1) sterility, where the irradiated parent must be competitive enough to mate while its offspring must be sterile. Manipulations of atmospheric oxygen content have been shown to be an effective way of lowering post-irradiation somatic damage while preserving sterility and improving sterile insect performance, particularly in fruit flies. In this study we tested the irradiation dose response of adults of the cactus moth, Cactoblastis cactorum (Berg) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), and the effects of those doses on sterility, longevity, and F1 performance, and whether a nitrogen conditi...