title: Cold Tolerance of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly in Date and Mandarin.
abstract: The Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), is an endemic pest in Israel and there can be low levels of infestation of dates (Phoenix dactylifera L.). Because C. capitata is considered a quarantine pest by several major importing countries, the export of fresh dates requires the elimination of this pest. For mandarin, cold storage at 1.11°C for 15 d is considered to be an effective treatment for the elimination of C. capitata. In this study, we compared the cold tolerance of C. capitata in "Barhi" dates to that of C. capitata in mandarins (Citrus unshiu Marcovitch, "Satsuma"). In Barhi dates, we found the third instars to be the most cold-tolerant as compared with other life stages. Ceratitis capitata in date fruits were significantly less cold-tolerant than C. capitata in Satsuma mandarins. The last viable larvae in dates and mandarins were found after 8 and 13 d of treatment, respectively, and the calculated mortality curves in the two crops were significantly different. These results demonstrate that C. capitata is more sensitive to cold treatment when in date fruits than in mandarins. Therefore, the quarantine cold treatments used to eliminate C. capitata from mandarins should be sufficiently effective if applied to fresh date fruits.
authors: The Israel Cohen Institute for Biological Control, Plant Production and Marketing Board, Citrus Division, Derech Ha'azmaut 40, Yehud-Monosson 5610102, Israel. yoav@jaffa.co.il.
authors: Yoav
authors: Y
authors: Gazit
authors: The Israel Cohen Institute for Biological Control, Plant Production and Marketing Board, Citrus Division, Derech Ha'azmaut 40, Yehud-Monosson 5610102, Israel.
authors: Ruti
authors: R
authors: Akiva
authors: The Israel Cohen Institute for Biological Control, Plant Production and Marketing Board, Citrus Division, Derech Ha'azmaut 40, Yehud-Monosson 5610102, Israel. Current address: Department of Natural Resources, Israel Ministry of Environmental Protection, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors: Sagi
authors: S
authors: Gavriel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D033622:Ceratitis capitata / Q000502:physiology*; D002957:Citrus; D003080:Cold Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005638:Fruit; D007300:Insect Control / Q000379:methods*; D065749:Phoeniceae; D011790:Quarantine / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Ceratitis capitata; Citrus reticulata inshiu; Phoenix dactylifera; cold treatment; postharvest