فهرست نشریات علمی دسترسی آزاد ایران

The Oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), is a serious fruit pest in South Asia; however, studies of its oviposition behavior on different host fruits in Sri Lanka are insufficient. Hence, the present study was conducted to determine the oviposition preference and host susceptibility of B. dorsalis on four commercial mango varieties [Karutha kolumban (Kc), Willard (Wld), Vellai kolumban (Vc), and Betti amba (Ba)] under controlled laboratory conditions. The comparative preference and susceptibility of B. dorsalis to four mango varieties were tested by a series of choice and no-choice experiments. The oviposition preference was evaluated, and host susceptibility was investigated by incubating the tested fruits separately until pupation and adult emergence. Results revealed that mature females of B. dorsalis exhibited significantly different host preferences and susceptibilities among the four mango varieties tested (P < 0.05). Distinct host visits, visit durations, oviposition attempts, and a significantly high number of pupae and adult emergence of B. dorsalis were recorded for `Kc`, followed by `Ba`, `Vc`, and `Wld` mango varieties. The `Wld` was less preferred by B. dorsalis for oviposition. Moreover, fewer pupae and adult emergence occurred for this variety. The mango variety and fruit circumference were significantly correlated with host visits, visit durations, oviposition attempts, and the number of pupae and adults, while the impact of fruit peel thickness on these factors was negative. Study findings help design control measures for B. dorsalis to prevent damage to the commercial mango varieties in Sri Lanka.