Feeding preferences of newly-emerged Bactrocera minax

Author of the article:MA Yue-Kun1** CHAMBI Consolatha2** LI Zai-Yuan HUANG Cong SHAO Rui WANG Fu-Lian***

Author's Workplace：(1. Forewarning and Management of Agricultural and Forestry Pests, Hubei Engineering Technology Center & College of Agriculture, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434025, China; 2. Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Land-use Planning and Management, Dodoma 2182, Tanzania)

Key Words：Bactrocera minax; feeding selectivity; newly-emerged adults; water; protein; antiseptics; nutrients from different habitats

Abstract：[Objectives]  To investigate the feeding preferences of premature, adult Bactrocera minax. [Methods]  Newly emerged (1-7 day post-eclosion) adults were kept indoors at a temperature of (25±1)℃ and a photoperiod of 12L︰12D and given a choice of either water or honey, honey with, or without, protein, honey with, or without, antiseptics (sorbic acid or nipagin), and honey from different habitats. [Results]  Newly-emerged adults did not significantly prefer honey to water, but 2-3 day old females and 4 day old males significantly preferred water to honey. Females, but not males, preferred pure honey to honey with protein. Females significantly preferred pure honey to honey with either nipagin or sorbic acid, whereas males only had a significant preference for pure honey over honey with nipagin. Males preferred gallnut honey to motherwort, rape or honeysuckle honey, and also significantly preferred jujube honey to motherwort honey, but females did not display any preference for honey type. [Conclusion]  Newly-emerged adult B. minax generally preferred pure honey to that containing protein or antiseptics. Males were more selective with respect to honey from different habitats.