LAUSR

Abstract Previous work reveals that newly emerged adult Chinese citrus flies, Bactrocera minax (Enderlein), emerges from the ground in the mosaic-type citrus orchard of the hilly terrain landform dispersed into adjacent forest, and the newly emerged adult flies fed on male inflorescence of the Chinese chestnut, Castanea mollissima Blume (Fagaceae). The potential impact of male inflorescence of C. mollissima on the longevity, and survival of adult females and males, the ovarian development of adult females, and the abdominal index, ovarian index, and egg length of the fourth ovarian grade of living females, as well as the flowering process of the male inflorescence of the Chinese chestnut, were studied with the three methods of rearing (normal rearing, hungry rearing, and bagging rearing). For all three rearing treatments, the longevity of all adults could live up to 38 days, there were similar time dynamics for the average survival of female and male adult flies. Of the total females, 32.1 % - 100 % females with bagging rearing could attain the fourth ovarian grade like those in rearing and hunger rearing. The abdominal index, ovarian index, and egg length of the fourth ovarian grade of 27 -39 days’ old living females with bagging rearing (it corresponds to the late flower withering period), were 75.1 %, 49.8 % and 89.6 % of those with normal rearing, and 73.2 %, 60.6 % and 90.8 % of those with hungry rearing, respectively. The male inflorescence of C. mollissima can satisfy the nutritional requirements of adult B. minax, enabling their survival and normal reproduction. This study can provide references for development and application of artificial feed and food attractants of adult B. minax.