Gene expression responses of <i>Bactrocera tryoni</i> larvae feeding on different ripening stages of tomato fruit

Abstract The Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni , is an economically important pest insect of horticultural crops in Australia, damaging a wide variety fruits and vegetables. To study the B. –fruit interaction, we conducted transcriptomic investigation larvae feeding on three ripening stages tomato fruit, which had been previously shown to influence larval performance. Fruit fly survival immature very poor, hypothesized be due effect toxins are mostly expressed green fruit. We found 2709 transcripts differentially stages. transcript expression pattern was most divergent between compared with fully ripe intermediate colour‐break Gene Set Enrichment Analysis showed that fed higher number depleted GO terms comparison particularly associated development, metabolism basic cellular functions. Enriched opposite pattern, greater enriched related growth detoxification processes. concluded poor immature‐green likely because substrate offers diet for larvae, limits normal developmental By contrast, allows including metabolically costly mechanisms.