Microsatellite based studies had suggested the origin of fruit fly incursions is most likely from endemic populations near to the FFEZ, implying that in climatically unfavourable years, there are no incursions. With respect to Qfly incursions, the main problem is humans transporting fruit, an unknown proportion of which is infested by fruit flies, into the FFEZ. What is known is the date and lo...

Citrus crops are considered to be relatively poor hosts for Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt), as for other tephritid species. Australian citrus growers and crop consultants have reported observable differences in susceptibility of different citrus cultivars under commercial growing conditions. In this study we conducted laboratory tests and field surveys to determine susceptib...

Experiments on fruit flies are shedding new light on the evolution and development of the nervous system in metamorphosing insects.

When I began my search for an answer to the puzzle of why the best firms can fail, a friend offered some sage advice. "Those who study genetics avoid studying humans," he noted. "Because new generations come along only every thirty years or so, it takes a long time to understand the cause and effect of any changes. Instead, they study fruit flies, because they are conceived, born, mature, and d...

The behavioral responses of adult Drosophila fruit flies to a variety of sensory stimuli--light, volatile and non-volatile chemicals, temperature, humidity, gravity, and sound--have been measured by others previously. Some of those assays are rather complex; a review of them is presented in the Discussion. Our objective here has been to find out how to measure the behavior of adult Drosophila f...

Tephritid fruit flies are amongst the most damaging insect pests of horticulture globally. Some of the key fruit fly species are managed using the sterile insect technique (SIT), whereby millions of sterile males are released to suppress reproduction of pest populations. Male annihilation technique (MAT), whereby sex specific lures are used to attract and kill males, is often used to reduce wil...

We used high-resolution two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to evaluate the effect of aging on the heat shock response in Drosophila melanogaster. Although the aging process is not well understood at the molecular level, recent observations suggest that quantitative changes in gene expression occur as these fruit flies approach senescence. Such genetic alterations are in accord w...