Mating success in Bactrocera cucurbitae (Diptera: Tephritidae) under different rearing densities

The mating success of mass-reared and individually marked melon flies, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett), was observed during 7 d under 2 different densities in the laboratory. Frequency distribution of mating success of individual males under the low density was clumpy, but that of males under the high density was random. This difference seemed to result from disturbance among individuals under high density, where males could not make their territories. As mating frequency of females showed random or repulsed distributions in the 2 densities, all females seemed to mate at similar frequencies. Adult size was not related to mating success in either sex under the 2 densities The characteristics of mating success in mass-reared melon Hies for sterile insect techniques were considered to tie related to extremely high adult rearing density.