Evaluation of partial sterility in mating performance and reproduction of the West Indian sweetpotato weevil, Euscepes postfasciatus

• Published in: Entomologia experimentalis et applicata Vol. 136; no. 1; pp. 45 - 52
• Main Authors: Kumano, Norikuni, Kuriwada, Takashi, Shiromoto, Keiko, Haraguchi, Dai, Kohama, Tsuguo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Oxford, UK : Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.07.2010; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Blackwell
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Coleoptera; Control; Curculionidae; Demecology; eradication; Euscepes postfasciatus; Fertility; Fertilization; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Integrated pest control; Ipomoea batatus; irradiation; Mating; Pests; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; Protozoa. Invertebrata; Protozoa. Invertebrates; Radiation; Reproduction; SIT; Somatic cells; sterile insect technique; Sterility; Sterilization; substerilization; Coleoptera; Insecta; Sterile animal release; sterile insect technique; Convolvulaceae; Reproduction; Pest; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Breeding success; Ipomoea batatas; Integrated pest management; Autocidal control; substerilization; Sterility; Ipomoea batatus; Vegetable crop; Arthropoda; eradication; Irradiation; Spermatophyta; Tuber plant; Curculionidae; Invertebrata; Performance; SIT
• ISSN: 0013-8703; 1570-7458
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1570-7458.2010.01004.x

The sterile insect technique (SIT) is based on population and behavioral ecology and is widely used to suppress or eradicate target pest insect populations. The effectiveness of SIT depends on the ability of the released sterile males to mate with and inseminate wild females. The use of gamma-radiation to induce sterility is, however, associated with negative impacts not only on reproductive cells but also on somatic cells. Consequently, irradiation for sterilization diminishes mating performance over time. In this study, we evaluated the balance between the irradiation dose and both fertility and mating propensity in Euscepes postfasciatus (Fairmaire) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) for 22 days following irradiation. The mating propensity of males irradiated with a 150-Gy dose, as currently used to induce complete sterility of E. postfasciatus in the SIT program in Okinawa Prefecture, was equal to that of non-irradiated weevils for up to 6 days, and the mating propensity of males irradiated with a dose of 125 Gy was equal to that of non-irradiated weevils for twice this period (12 days). The fertilization ability of weevils irradiated with a dose of 125 Gy was reduced by 4.6% in males and 0.6% in females, compared to the potential fertilization ability. We also discuss the possibility of the application of partially sterilized insects in eradication programs.