Life-history parameters and the fitness of tephritid flies are closely linked to diet. Studies of locomotor behaviour can provide insights to these links, although little is known about how locomotor behaviour is influenced ...

In pest management programmes that incorporate the sterile insect technique (SIT), the ability of mass-reared insects to tolerate dry conditions may influence their survival after release in the field. In the present ...

The oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), and marula fruit fly, Ceratitis cosyra (Walker), are major fruit-infesting tephritids across sub-Saharan Africa. Biological control of these pests using parasitic ...

Macroinvertebrate assemblages can vary with season as a result of changing environmental conditions and phenology of individual species. The objective of this study was to determine whether results from the South African ...

The oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is a pest of fruit and vegetable production that has become established in 42 countries in Africa after its first detection in 2003 in Kenya. It ...

In insects, lifespan and reproduction are strongly associated with nutrition. The ratio and amount of nutrients individuals consume affect their life expectancy and reproductive investment. The geometric framework (GF) ...

In herbivorous insects, the degree of host specialisation may be one ecological factor that shapes lifespan. Because host specialists can only exploit a limited number of plants, their lifecycle should be synchronised ...

Traits of thermal sensitivity or performance are typically the focus of species distribution modelling. Among-population trait variation, trait plasticity, population connectedness and the possible climatic covariation ...

The highly invasive oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), has been declared present in the northern parts of South Africa since 2013. A study was thus initiated in July 2014 to determine the host range and field ...

Large numbers of flies are needed to produce the quantity of larvae required for insect bioconversion of waste. However, this 'mass-rearing' may negatively affect adult survival and reproductive output. This study assessed ...