Finding ways to improve the sexual competitiveness of laboratory reared males have proven beneficial for the sterile insect technique. Exposure to essential oils enhances male mating success in several species of Tephritidae fruit flies. In Anastrepha fraterculus, males exposed to volatile compounds released by fresh guava fruit exhibit an increased courtship frequency and mating success. Here, we investigated how A. fraterculus male sexual behavior is affected when they are exposed to a commercial guava essential oil and tested its potential to accelerate male sexual maturation. In addition, we addressed the effect of the timing of exposure, and the diet males received on their response to the oil. Guava essential oil was as effective as guava fruit odors as a sexual calling enhancer. Neither the fruit nor the oil had a significant effect on sexual maturation. Guava oil sexual stimulation was only observed when males were exposed after attaining sexual maturation and fed on a low-quality diet. Males fed on high-quality diet showed higher calling levels than males fed on low-quality diet or sugar, irrespectively of guava oil exposure. We found no detrimental consequences of treatment on male starvation resistance. We discuss these results from an applied and ecological perspective.

寻找提高实验室饲养雄性的性竞争力的方法已证明对昆虫不育技术有益。接触精油可以提高几种实蝇科果蝇的雄性交配成功率。在Anastrepha fraterculus 中，暴露于新鲜番石榴果实释放的挥发性化合物的雄性表现出增加的求偶频率和交配成功率。在这里，我们研究了A. fraterculus当男性接触商业番石榴精油并测试其加速男性性成熟的潜力时，他们的性行为会受到影响。此外，我们还讨论了暴露时间的影响，以及雄性饮食对他们对油的反应。番石榴精油与番石榴果实气味一样有效，而且是一种性唤起增强剂。水果和油对性成熟都没有显着影响。番石榴油性刺激仅在雄性达到性成熟后暴露并以低质量饮食喂养时观察到。以高质量饮食喂养的雄性比以低质量饮食或糖喂养的雄性表现出更高的叫声水平，与番石榴油暴露无关。我们发现治疗对雄性饥饿抵抗没有不利影响。