Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata最新文献

{"title":"What is the potential for artificial selection of insect biological control traits? A systematic review of their genetic variation, heritability, and evolvability","authors":"Sophie R. Chattington,&nbsp;Jiaqi Chen,&nbsp;Bart A. Pannebakker,&nbsp;Kelley Leung","doi":"10.1111/eea.13572","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.13572","url":null,"abstract":"<p>There is growing interest in trait selection for the improvement of insect biological control. Constraints from the Nagoya Protocol for sourcing novel biocontrol agents (BCAs) make optimization of accessible populations a higher priority. However, the effectiveness of selection programs remains unclear. This requires knowing whether biocontrol traits are heritable and whether captive populations have sufficient genetic variation for selection. To address this knowledge gap, we systematically reviewed reported values of broad-sense heritability (<i>H</i>²), narrow-sense heritability (<i>h</i>²), and evolvability (<i>CV</i>_<i>a</i>) for insect biocontrol traits, providing an overview of the potential for their genetic improvement while identifying the irregularities in the reporting of heritability data across studies. Our algorithmic search string focused on studies working with arthropod BCAs widely used in augmentative biocontrol and/or permitted for use in the EPPO region (European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization). Five thousand two hundred and nine initial search hits from the CAB Abstracts (<i>n</i> = 2321) and BIOSIS (<i>n</i> = 3442) databases recovered 277 relevant papers after screening, 94 of which included estimation methods and reported biocontrol traits as being heritable. However, over half (52) of these papers did not report any <i>H</i>², <i>h</i>², or <i>CV</i>_<i>a</i> values. There was strong indication of genetic variation (e.g., <i>h</i>² &gt; 0.2) for numerous traits. Most data focused on pest suppression ability and mass reproduction, while little was reported on abiotic/biotic adaptation or ecological risk, despite their importance for biocontrol success. Contrary to expectations, heritabilities for complex life-history traits were equally high as those for morphology, whereas the heritability of insecticide resistance was relatively low. Despite relatively few data points and a large value range, this review demonstrates good potential for artificial selection of biocontrol traits and provides a single resource for collated data. We make recommendations for more consistent and expansive collection and repository of biocontrol trait data and to revise the Nagoya Protocol to facilitate breeding programs.</p>","PeriodicalId":11741,"journal":{"name":"Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata","volume":"173 6","pages":"463-497"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/eea.13572","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143925907","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trait selection in production insects—An introduction to the issue and a review of responses to artificial selection","authors":"Willemijn F. Oudijk,&nbsp;Abel J. M. Eerens,&nbsp;Leo W. Beukeboom","doi":"10.1111/eea.13574","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.13574","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Production insects are cultured by humans to yield an agent or product of (commercial) interest. Four main categories are as follows: insects produced for biological pest control, for sterile insect technique, for human food and animal feed, and for technical products and services. <i>Trait selection in production insects</i> refers to the choice of traits that are important for the insect producer, or it refers to the improvement of a production trait through insect breeding. This special journal issue comprises a series of articles on trait selection, dealing with the outcomes of selection programmes as well as the choice of traits to select. Although the traits of interest occasionally differ substantially between production areas, methodologies for trait improvement may overlap and results of studies will be informative across fields. In this introduction, we first discuss the main aspects of trait selection, and we briefly summarize all contributions to this special issue. Then we systematically review the literature on effect sizes and correlated responses of artificial selection for trait improvement in production insects. We finish with several general conclusions and recommendations for future research, based on our literature review as well as the articles in this journal issue.</p>","PeriodicalId":11741,"journal":{"name":"Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata","volume":"173 6","pages":"443-462"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/eea.13574","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143925957","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rhynchophorus phoenicis production: A comparative study of different rearing protocols","authors":"Shadrack K. Debrah,&nbsp;Amy Fraklin,&nbsp;Jacob P. Anankware,&nbsp;Francois Lukadi,&nbsp;Shadrack Asomah,&nbsp;Jørgen Eilenberg,&nbsp;Nanna Roos,&nbsp;Daniel Obeng-Ofori","doi":"10.1111/eea.13571","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.13571","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The traditional methods of sourcing and semi-domesticating the African palm weevil <i>Rhynchophorus phoenicis</i> Fabricius (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) larvae persist among the inhabitants of Ghana. However, these methods produce only a small proportion of the market demand for the larvae in Ghana. A containerized system of producing larvae has been found to facilitate production for socioeconomic purposes, thereby enhancing the sustainable utilization of the larvae all year round. We evaluated the life history parameters of <i>R. phoenicis</i> on three different rearing protocols that used different agricultural by-products, container types, and number of adult pairs for production. The different protocols were laid out using the Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with 10 replications. The fecundity of the adults differed significantly among the protocols. The highest fecundity was recorded on Protocol 2 (145.50 ± 16.55), followed by control (98.50 ± 12.05), Protocol 3 (84.50 ± 9.50), and Protocol 1 (45.00 ± 11.58). Protocol 2 recorded the highest larval survival rate, followed by Protocols 1, control, and 3. Among the rearing protocols, the highest intrinsic rate of natural increase (<i>r</i>m) (days) and net reproductive rate (<i>Ro</i>) were observed in Protocol 2. The lowest mean generational time (<i>T</i>) was recorded on Protocol 2 (76 days) while the highest (92 days) was recorded on Protocol 3. Our findings showed that Protocol 2 supports fecundity, larval development, cocooning formation, and adult emergence. The adoption of Protocol 2 by smallholder insect farmers can contribute to the development of future commercial rearing systems for <i>R. phoenicis</i> larvae.</p>","PeriodicalId":11741,"journal":{"name":"Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata","volume":"173 6","pages":"603-615"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143925955","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Selection for zoophagy influences biocontrol efficacy and fruit damage by Dicyphus hesperus in greenhouses","authors":"François Dumont,&nbsp;Mireia Solà Cassi,&nbsp;Maud Lemay,&nbsp;Caroline Provost","doi":"10.1111/eea.13570","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.13570","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The zoophytophagous predator <i>Dicyphus hesperus</i> Knight (Hemiptera: Miridae) is effective in the biological control of whiteflies in greenhouses, but it can also cause damage to fruits and plants. Artificial selection on foraging behavior allows the development of more zoophagous lines that have the potential to be both more effective and less likely to cause damage. Moreover, highly zoophagous lines could affect other biological control agents through increased intraguild predation or competition. This study tests the biological control efficacy against tobacco whitefly <i>Bemisia tabaci</i> (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) and damage by highly and lowly zoophagous lines of <i>D. hesperus</i> in tomato greenhouses. The effect of these lines on <i>Encarsia formosa</i> Gahan (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) parasitoid wasp populations was also tested. In cage tests, we introduced <i>D. hesperus</i> from lowly or highly zoophagous and non-selected lines. In half of the cage, <i>E. formosa</i> was introduced. The ability of predators and parasitoids to reduce <i>B. tabaci</i> populations was monitored for 12 weeks. Tomatoes produced were harvested and graded according to damage by <i>D. hesperus</i>. Highly zoophagous lines had a rapid and lasting impact on pest populations. Lowly zoophagous lines take longer to achieve the same level of pest control as highly zoophagous lines. Introductions of <i>E. formosa</i> also reduce populations, but without interacting with <i>D. hesperus</i>. <i>Dicyphus hesperus</i> did not affect <i>E. formosa</i> abundance. Lowly zoophagous lines generated higher proportions of damage. The results show that artificial selection based on zoophagy produces more efficient and less damaging lines in the greenhouse tomato crop. Over time, lines with low zoophagy compensated for low individual efficiency by increasing their numbers. Highly zoophagous lines are compatible with parasitoid wasps, which were little affected by <i>D. hesperus</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":11741,"journal":{"name":"Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata","volume":"173 6","pages":"522-531"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/eea.13570","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143925830","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The effect of the egg storage time on the hatching success, morphometrics of larvae, and adult emergence of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus","authors":"Yuresha Ganga Kumari,&nbsp;Rasika Dalpadado,&nbsp;Deepika Amarasinghe","doi":"10.1111/eea.13567","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.13567","url":null,"abstract":"<p><i>Aedes aegypti</i> (L.) and <i>Aedes albopictus</i> (Skuse) are important vectors that transmit arboviruses such as <i>Dengue virus</i> (DENV), <i>Yellow fever virus</i> (YFV), <i>Chikungunya virus</i> (CHIKV), and <i>Zika virus</i> (ZIKV). Focusing on the unique characteristics of their eggs to withstand dry conditions, this study aimed to elucidate the viability of dry-stored eggs and the subsequent morphometric changes in larvae and adult mosquitoes upon rehydration. Experiments were carried out using ovitrap-collected eggs, which were reared in the laboratory until adult emergence. The resulting mosquitoes were fed on cattle blood and sugar solution and allowed to lay eggs on the paper strips, which were air-dried and stored for 6 months. The viability of these eggs was tested monthly. The head length and total length of fourth-instar larvae and head, thorax, abdomen, wing length, wing width, and total length of adults were measured, including the days needed for adult emergence. The results imply that the prolonging of the egg storage period led to a decline in viability, delayed emergence of adults, and a negative impact on the morphometrics of fourth-instar larvae in both <i>Ae. aegypti</i> and <i>Ae. albopictus</i>. Nonetheless, the morphometrics of the adults did not exhibit any significant differences compared to those of fresh eggs.</p>","PeriodicalId":11741,"journal":{"name":"Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata","volume":"173 6","pages":"642-647"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143926139","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of agricultural waste-based diets on growth performance, gut microbiome composition, and volatile organic compound profiles in Zophobas morio","authors":"Jiaxin Liu,&nbsp;Hongbo Li,&nbsp;Zhenbin Liu,&nbsp;Dan Xu,&nbsp;Xiaolin Zhu,&nbsp;Liangbin Hu,&nbsp;Haizhen Mo","doi":"10.1111/eea.13569","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.13569","url":null,"abstract":"<p>With growing concerns over agricultural waste management and sustainable protein sources, insect farming has emerged as a promising waste valorization strategy. However, the effects of agricultural waste-based diets on the growth, gut microbiota, and flavor quality of edible insects remain unclear. This study investigates how different agricultural waste-based feeds influence the biological and flavor characteristics of <i>Zophobas morio</i> Fabricius (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), providing insights into its potential applications in waste recycling and edible insect production. Over a 32-day feeding period, <i>Z. morio</i> were fed wheat bran (WB), edible mushroom sticks (EMS), or apple pomace (AP). Growth performance, gut microbiota, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing and gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS). WB-fed <i>Z. morio</i> exhibited the highest weight gain, with increased <i>Lactobacillus</i> and <i>Lactococcus</i>, while EMS increased <i>Spiroplasma</i> without improving growth. AP maintained survival but reduced weight gain while enriching <i>Chryseobacterium</i> and <i>Kosakonia</i>. Gut microbiota influenced the VOC profile, with <i>Lactobacillus</i> and <i>Lactococcus</i> promoting the formation of esters and ketones, <i>Chryseobacterium</i> enhancing sweet and fruity volatiles, and <i>Spiroplasma</i> potentially reducing the production of alcohols and sulfur-containing compounds. These findings provide a basis for optimizing <i>Z. morio</i> as a sustainable solution for agricultural waste recycling and enhancing its potential as an edible protein source.</p>","PeriodicalId":11741,"journal":{"name":"Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata","volume":"173 6","pages":"616-626"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143926118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Supplementation of maize bran with either sunflower or oil palm seed cakes improves growth and nutritional value of the edible house cricket (Acheta domesticus)","authors":"Francis Sengendo,&nbsp;James Peter Egonyu,&nbsp;Anu Valtonen,&nbsp;Isabelle Noyens,&nbsp;Harriet Angwech,&nbsp;Martha Franny Alaroker,&nbsp;Philip Nyeko,&nbsp;Geoffrey Maxwell Malinga,&nbsp;Sabine Van Miert","doi":"10.1111/eea.13568","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.13568","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The house cricket, <i>Acheta domesticus</i> (Linnaeus) (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) is one of the major insects successfully domesticated for food around the world. However, expensive feed is still a major challenge in the production of the insect, leading to low returns. This study aimed at developing an alternative diet for mass rearing of <i>A. domesticus</i>. We tested five diets, namely commercial chicken mash (CCM; control diet), maize bran supplemented with 50% sunflower seed cake (SFC50), 50% shea seed cake (SBC50), 50% oil palm seed cake (POC50), and 25% maize bran + 25% of each of the oil seed cakes (MSSP25). The experiment was arranged as a randomized unreplicated block design with 50 blocks, each containing one replicate of each diet treatment. Survival of <i>A. domesticus</i> fed on maize bran supplemented with either sunflower seed cake or oil palm seed cake was comparable to that of those fed on the control diet. However, emerging adults on oil seed supplemented diets (SFC50 and POC50) were heavier than their counterparts raised on the control diet. The shortest development time was observed among <i>A. domesticus</i> fed on 50% sunflower seed cake compared to all other diets. <i>Acheta domesticus</i> fed on the control diet was richer in protein, while those reared on maize bran supplemented with either sunflower seed cake or oil palm seed cake contained higher levels of fat, minerals (sodium, calcium, and iron) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). We conclude that supplementation of maize bran with 50% of either sunflower seed cake or oil palm seed cake improves survival and weight gain of <i>A. domesticus</i> and shortens their development time. In addition, these diets modify the nutritional composition of <i>A. domesticus</i>, especially lipids, minerals, and PUFAs. We recommend the use of SFC50 and POC50 as alternative diets to commercial chicken mash in the mass production of <i>A. domesticus</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":11741,"journal":{"name":"Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata","volume":"173 6","pages":"590-602"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143926071","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Variation in strain performance and estimates of heritability of body size indicate considerable potential for genetic improvement of the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens)","authors":"Tomas N. Generalovic,&nbsp;Christoph Sandrock,&nbsp;Sam Leonard,&nbsp;Tarryn Schuldiner-Harpaz,&nbsp;Miha Pipan,&nbsp;John J. Welch,&nbsp;Chris D. Jiggins","doi":"10.1111/eea.13565","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.13565","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The black soldier fly (<i>Hermetia illucens</i> L., Diptera: Stratiomyidae) has emerged as a key species in the sustainable protein industry. Whilst genetic variation in performance has been suggested, the extent of heritability and genotype-by-environment (G × E) interactions in this species remains relatively unexplored. This study used a standardised split-brood design and linear mixed effect models to evaluate genetic effects at the between- and within-strain levels across diets as environments. In the first experiment, three strains were tested across three diets to identify strain × diet interactions. Significant interactions were observed for larval weights, development, family viability and protein content, indicating differential adaptability of strains to specific dietary substrates. The second experiment expanded on these results by testing two strains across three diets, but with a larger number of families (<i>n</i> = 23) and individual-level phenotyping of body size using 4018 individuals. Moreover, crude estimates of narrow-sense heritability (<i>h</i>²) were obtained using a full-sibling design. Heritability estimates for larval and prepupal body size were high: <i>h</i>² = 0.67 and 0.78, respectively, although the estimates will be upwardly biased if there is substantial non-additive genetic variation. Together, our results highlight the potential for selective breeding to optimise black soldier fly strains for industrial applications, supporting the growth of this novel industry.</p>","PeriodicalId":11741,"journal":{"name":"Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata","volume":"173 6","pages":"558-574"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/eea.13565","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143925727","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of mating age and male mating experience on reproduction and longevity of the edible insect Clanis bilineata tsingtauica","authors":"Shenglin Huang,&nbsp;Lelei Wen,&nbsp;Qingguo Feng,&nbsp;Yao Zhao,&nbsp;Xiaoguo Jiao","doi":"10.1111/eea.13566","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.13566","url":null,"abstract":"<p><i>Clanis bilineata tsingtauic</i>a Mell, a valued edible insect in China, has seen limited study on its reproductive behaviors despite their importance for mass rearing. This study investigated the effects of mating age, male mating experience, and mating duration on the reproduction and adult longevity of <i>C. bilineata tsingtauica</i> under laboratory conditions. We observed a monandrous mating system for females and a polygynous one for males. The mating rate, oviposition duration, fecundity, and egg hatching rate declined with increasing female mating age. For males, an increase in mating age significantly reduced the mating rate and fecundity, with minimal impact on other parameters. Additionally, increased male mating experience negatively affected fecundity and egg hatching rate, without altering the mating rate, oviposition duration, or adult longevity. Notably, fecundity and egg hatching rate were positively related to mating duration, while oviposition duration was negatively correlated. Our findings indicate that early mating, reduced male mating experience, and extended mating duration enhance the reproductive success of <i>C. bilineata tsingtauica</i>, providing insights for optimizing mass rearing practices.</p>","PeriodicalId":11741,"journal":{"name":"Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata","volume":"173 6","pages":"627-633"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143925721","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Heritability of morphological traits and mating probability of males derived from successful parents of the Anastrepha ludens Tapachula-7 strain","authors":"Luis Quintero-Fong,&nbsp;Jorge Toledo,&nbsp;Pedro Rendón,&nbsp;Dina Orozco-Dávila,&nbsp;Javier Valle-Mora,&nbsp;David S. Haymer,&nbsp;Pablo Liedo,&nbsp;Lorena Ruiz-Montoya","doi":"10.1111/eea.13563","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.13563","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Heritability measures the proportion of variation in a phenotypic trait within a population attributable to genetic differences among individuals. It also reflects genetic variation that can be passed from one generation to the next, and that can be used to predict the effectiveness of selection on traits involved in enhancing individual performance in genetic breeding programs. In fruit flies, females may select males based on chemical, acoustical, and visual signals as well as physical or morphological characteristics. However, the extent to which genetic variation underlying these traits is passed on to offspring is still largely unknown. Here, we used flies from a genetic sexing strain of <i>Anastrepha ludens</i> (Diptera: Tephritidae), known as Tapachula 7, to determine and compare the probability of mating for males derived from parents where mating interactions were successful vs. those that were not under field cage conditions. Offspring of both groups were propagated in the laboratory, and results showed that males derived from successful parents had a greater probability of mating compared to males derived from parents that were unsuccessful in the field cages. We also estimated the heritability of four morphological traits (pupal weight, thorax length, head width, and wing length) related to male mating success. The morphological characters of pupal weight and thorax length produced relatively low heritability values compared with medium and higher heritability values for head width and wing length, respectively. This study demonstrated that a degree of genetic association exists between reproductive success and some morphological traits associated with mating success in males of the Tapachula-7 strain of <i>A. ludens</i>. The possibility of using these results for improving the sexual performance of sterile males through directed selection is discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":11741,"journal":{"name":"Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata","volume":"173 6","pages":"634-641"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143926204","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}