Evaluation of artificial larval diets for rearing of fruit fly Bactrocera zonata (Diptera: Tephritidae) under laboratory condition

Abstract

Impact of five different larval diets on various growth parameters of fruit fly Bactrocera zonata was studied in the Nuclear Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Peshawar, Pakistan. Each diet was composed of basic ingredients (sugar, sodium benzoate, wheat bran, nipagen, HCL) and variable components i.e. (i) yeast extract, (ii) Protein Hydrolysate +Baker’s yeast, (iii) Torula yeast, (iv) Protein Hydrolysate, (v) Baker’s yeast. Among these Baker’s yeast enhanced the efficacy of protein hydrolysate and resulted in highest egg hatchability (58%), development of larvae to pupal stage (50.53%) and fecundity (211.9) of female B. zonata. However, this treatment did not show significant statistical difference with others regarding adult emergence (92.35%) from pupae except sole protein hydrolysate treatment. The impact of these diets on sex ratio was not significant. The other treatments/larval diets gave variable results regarding the effect on various parameters of B. zonata.