EPPO Global Database

EPPO Reporting Service no. 03 - 2005 Num. article: 2005/046

Irradiation treatment against Bactrocera dorsalis, Ceratitis capitata and B. cucurbitae


In USA, the currently approved doses for irradiation treatments for Bactrocera dorsalis, Ceratitis capitata and B. cucurbitae (Diptera: Tephritidae –A1 list for Bactrocera spp., A2 list for C. capitata) are respectively 210, 225 and 250 Gy. Irradiation may be required as a phytosanitary treatment for exporting fruits and vegetables from Hawaii to continental USA. Further laboratory studies on third larval instars irradiated at different doses, in artificial diet or in fruit, showed that lower doses could be used. No adult survival was obtained with irradiation at 150, 100 and 125 Gy for B. curcurbitae, C. capitata and B. dorsalis, respectively. It was concluded that a common dose of 150 Gy could be proposed as a phytosanitary treatment against these fruit flies.

Sources

Follett PA, Armstrong JW (2004) Revised irradiation doses to control melon fly, Mediterranean fruit fly, and oriental fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) and a generic dose for Tephritid fruit flies.
Journal of Economic Entomology, 97(4), 1254-1248.