Mating behavior of wild and mass-reared strains of the melon fly, Dacus cucurbitae Coquillett (Diptera: Tephritidae), in a field cage

The mating behavior of melon flies, Dacus cucurbitae COQUILLETT, released on a field-caged non-host tree was compared between wild (W-) and mass-reared (L-) strain. Mating initiation occurred earlier (at higher light intensity) in L-strain than W-strain flies, but courtship and copultion occurred mainly on the tree leaves in both strains. Presumably as a result of common rendezvous site, L- and W-strains mated at random when confined in the field cage, and no evidence of sexual isolation existed between strains though copulations occurred relatively earlier in L-strain than in W-strain flies.