Behavior of the papaya fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae): host finding and oviposition

Mated female papaya fruit flies, Toxotrypana curvicauda Gerstaecker, oriented to and contacted single immature papaya fruit presented in an experimental arena and exhibited a rhythmic up-and-down movement of the head (bobbing) after initial contact with the fruit. Such bobbing, with the proboscis contacting the fruit surface at each bob, always preceded probing and puncturing of the fruit with the ovipositor. Forty-eight percent of 25 females tested probed within 5 min; 11 of these laid an average of 29 eggs per oviposition bout, which lasted an average 20.5 min. Withdrawal of the ovipositor was followed by ovipositor grooming and extensive continuous sponging of the fruit surface with the proboscis. During observations of female papaya fruit flies on fruit in a commercial papaya planting, all of these types of behavior were observed.