Effects of Irradiation Dose on Sterility Induction and Quality Parameters of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae).

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura, 1931) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is a widely distributed pest of soft-skinned and stone fruits that is controlled mainly with pesticides. An alternative to the chemical control is the sterile insect technique (SIT), an ecologically friendly method of pest management that could be used against D. suzukii. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of gamma radiation on reproductive sterility, ovarian morphometry, and quality parameters of D. suzukii. Full female sterility was achieved at 75 Gy, while an adequate level of male sterility (99.67%) was obtained at 200 Gy. The ovarian size showed an exponential decay in function of irradiation dose increase. There was no significant influence of irradiation dose on the quality parameters evaluated. Our data suggest that gamma radiation can be recommended to be used in an SIT program for D. suzukii.