The medfly populations in the SFRV do not
reside in the vineyards. This fact implies that
the populations to be controlled are small and
that the risk of adaptive learning by the insects
is relatively low. In the past, learning has been
observed to alter the oviposition behavior of insects
(Cunningham et al. 1998; Rojas and Wyatt
1999). The comprehension of its role is essential
for the adequate evaluation of repellents and
deterrents, consisting in one of the main factors
from the effective development of behavioral manipulation
methods by the use of these substance
groups on the field (Liu & Liu 2006). Investigations
examining non-host plants or extracts have
demonstrated that the insects’ experiences [eg.
Pluttella xylostella (L.)] may induce oviposition
on non-host plants or on host plants treated with
extracts from non-host plants (Liu et al. 2005; Liu
& Liu 2006; Zhang et al. 2007; Wang et al. 2008).
In this study, we tested the hypothesis that
a methanol extract of neem leaves applied to
grapes could inhibit the oviposition of C. capitata
in an experimental choice paradigm. In addition,
we investigated the influence of learning (experience)
on medfly oviposition. This study is the
first step toward the application of the push-pull
strategy as a tool in the integrated management
of the medfly in grape vineyards in the northeast
of Brazil.
with elevated growth rates. In addition, adaptive
learning by the insects could interfere with the
effectiveness of the control method (Cook et al.
2007).