ASSESMENT OF SEASONAL ABUNDANCE OF ORIENTAL FRUIT FLY, BACTROCERA DORSALIS (HENDEL) AND DEVELOPMENT OF ARTIFICIAL LARVAL DIET FOR ITS MASS REARING

Abstract

Seasonal variations of oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) were monitored in different agricultural field of Ganakbari, Savar, Dhaka during January 2012 to December 2012 and artifitial larval diet was prepared in the laboratory of Insect Biotechnology Division (ISO), Institute of Food and Radiation Biology (IFRS), Atomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE), Savar, Dhaka for possible field application of Sterile Insect Technique (SIT). Air temperature, relative humidity and rainfall were recorded during the study period. High level of oriental fruit fly population was found throughout the year except February and mean monthly capture was the highest in May. In case of efficiency of artifitiallarval diet the highest hatching percentage and the lowest larval duration was observed from the 4.87-4.89 pH of the diet. But based on the highest number of pupa, flier percentage, adult emergence percentage and lowest pupal duration diet having 5.22-5.26 pH was found to be economical and suitable for mass rearing of B. dorsalis.