Circadian patterns of feeding and reproductive activities of Mediterranean fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) on various hosts in Israel

We determined how male and female Mediterranean fruit flies, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), allocate time between feeding and reproductive activities in 2 agricultural habitats in coastals Israel. We determined diurnal temporal distribution patterns between and w within various hosts, established when and where feeding and reproductive activities take p place, and identified the primary sources of nutriton in the field. The synchronized behavior o of the populatin indicates a daily periodic movement between copulatory, oviposition, feeding, and resting sites. Male activities were regimented and discrete with a clear separation between feeding and reproductive activities, whereas females engeged in different behaviors throughout the day. Males congregated in leks on pitanga trees, Eugenia uniflora, from midmorning to e early afternoon, and rarely engagd in other activities during this period. Fruit guarding, an a alternative tactic, occured mainly in the late afternoon. Feeding was observed primarily in the evening on ripe and rotten fruit, leaf surfaces, and fresh bird feces. We postulate that although food itself is not a limited resource, time to consume it without the threat of pred dation limits and regulates feeding behavior of these flies.