Impact of marker dye on adult eclosion and flight ability of mass-produced Queensland fruit fly 'Bactrocera tyroni' (Froggatt) (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Sterile Queensland fruit flies Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) (Diptera: Tephritidae) are commonly marked with fluorescent dye to assist with subsequent identification after release and recapture. The impact of dye on adult eclosion and flight ability was tested using eight concentrations of dye (Swada, Fiesta Astral Pink) from 0 to 4.5 g/L of pupae. There was no significant difference in eclosion rates between undyed pupae (control) and pupae dyed at a concentration of 1.0 g/L. For dye concentrations of 1.5–4.5 g/L, adult eclosion rates declined from 85.7% to 77.4% and were significantly different from the control. Flight ability indices ranged from 92.1% to 83.3%. There was no significant difference in flight ability between control pupae and those dyed at 1.0 g/L and 3.5 g/L pupae, but other pupae from other dye concentrations were significantly different from the control. Pupal weight ranged from 8.3 to 10.2 mg and there was no significant relationship between pupal weight and adult eclosion or flight ability.