Horizontal gene transfer from viruses to eukaryotic cells is a pervasive phenomenon. Somatic viral integrations are linked to persistent viral infection whereas integrations into germline cells are maintained in host genomes by vertical transmission and may be co‐opted for host functions. In the arboviral vector Aedes aegypti , an endogenous viral element from a nonretroviral RNA virus (nrEVE) was shown to produce PIWI‐interac...

The phytophagous insects of the Tephritidae family offer different case histories of successful invasions. An example is Bactrocera dorsalis sensu stricto , the oriental fruit fly which has been recognized as a key pest of Asia and the Pacific. It is known to have the potential to establish adventive populations in various tropical and subtropical areas. Despite the economic risk associated with a putative stable presence of t...

As a result of their rapid expansion and large larval host range, true fruit flies are among the world's most important agricultural pest species. Among them, Ceratitis capitata has become a model organism for studies on colonization and invasion processes. The genetic aspects of the medfly invasion process have already been analysed throughout its range, with the exception of Australia. Bioinvasion into Australia is an old ev...

A set of 10 microsatellite markers was used to survey the levels of genetic variability and to analyse the genetic aspects of the population dynamics of two potentially invasive pest fruit fly species, Ceratitis rosa and C. fasciventris, in Africa. The loci were derived from the closely related species, C. capitata . The degree of microsatellite polymorphism in C. rosa and C. fasciventris was extensive and comparable to that o...

Accurate estimates of remating in wild female insects are required for an understanding of the causes of variation in remating between individuals, populations and species. Such estimates are also of profound importance for major economic fruit pests such as the Mediterranean fruit fly ( Ceratitis capitata ). A major method for the suppression of this pest is the sterile insect technique (SIT), which relies on matings between...

The Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata , is a destructive agricultural pest with a long history of invasion success. This pest has been affecting different regions of the United States for the past 30 years, but a number of studies of medfly bioinfestations has focused on the situation in California. Although some progress has been made in terms of establishing the origin of infestations, the overall status of this pe...