Mass-rearing of Mediterranean fruit fly using low-cost yeast products produced in Brazil

Moreira da Silva Neto, AlbertoRodrigues de Oliveira Santos, TatianaSimões Dias, VanessaSordi Joachim-Bravo, Iarade Jesus Benevides, LeandroMaria de Jesus Benevides, CliciaVieira Lopes Silva, MariangelaCristina Campos dos Santos, DeiseVirgínio, JairBezerra Oliveira, GivanildoMarcos Melges Walder, JulioAguiar Jordão Paranhos, BeatrizSouza do Nascimento, Antônio

Ceratitis capitata is one of the most important pests of fruits for exportation, and Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) has been the most efficient and environmental friendly technique used to control fruit fly populations around the world. A key goal in achieving a successful SIT program is a mass rearing system producing high quality insects at low cost. Providing adults with an artificial diet containing hydrolysed protein has been the major obstacle for bio-production facilities in Brazil, because it is expensive and has to be imported. Two other commercial products, autolysed yeast (AY) and yeast extract (YE), of domestic origin and low cost, were tested as substitutes of the imported hydrolyzed protein. To compare their efficiency we observed the female fecundity, adult survival and egg viability of flies raised on diets containing one of each of the different protein products. Flies reared on the domestic yeast products had equivalent or superior performance to the flies reared on imported protein. Both AY and YE can be a possible substitute for imported hydrolyzed protein for C. capitata mass-rearing, as they are cheaper and are readily available in the national market.

1. protein
2. artificial diet
3. rearing facility
4. Ceratitis capitata