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Investigating the Disparity in Visual Stimuli-Induced Behavioral Responses Between Bactrocera dorsalis and Zeugodacus tau (Diptera: Tephritidae)
by
, , and
Fathelrahman Ahmed Naiem
, 
Weiwei Zheng
,
Kamran Haider
,
Kamil Kabir
,
Imran Afzal
and
Hongyu Zhang
*
National Key Laboratory for Germplasm Innovation and Utilization for Fruit and Vegetable Horticultural Crops, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Institute of Urban and Horticultural Entomology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Insects 2026, 17(1), 8; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17010008 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 4 November 2025
/
Revised: 16 December 2025
/
Accepted: 18 December 2025
/
Published: 20 December 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Insect Behavior and Pathology)
Simple Summary
In insects, the host-finding stage is crucial for identifying suitable oviposition sites, which are heavily influenced by visual cues. Bactrocera—true fruit flies—demonstrate a range of host preference habits across different species. We conducted a series of visual behavioral studies to investigate differences in sensitivity to key visual cues between two species, Bactrocera dorsalis and Zeugodacus tau, under controlled laboratory, greenhouse, and semi-field conditions. Our results show that both species exhibit high sensitivity to wavelengths of 520 nm and 560 nm, with higher responses to green and yellow light. Critically, Z. tau exhibited a stronger response to visual stimuli and further behavioral integration of multiple visual cues in the field. These findings underscore interspecific differences in visual cue processing that may contribute to ecological and visual behavioral divergence.
Abstract
Tephritid flies employ visual and chemical cues to locate and assess suitable habitats, food sources, mating sites, and ovipositional resources. Bactrocera dorsalis and Zeugodacus tau are economically significant pests that infest a wide range of fruits and fleshy vegetables. Understanding their visual sensitivity is crucial for developing effective and ecologically friendly management strategies. Thus, in this study, we compare the responses of these two species to various visual stimuli across laboratory, greenhouse, and closed-orchard environments. Our experiments reveal that, across the tested physiological states, both species exhibit a preference for certain wavelengths in the laboratory, particularly 520 nm and 560 nm. In the greenhouse, green and yellow models captured significantly more females of both species. Z. tau females showed greater sensitivity to the yellow model than B. dorsalis females. Additionally, Z. tau showed a higher affinity for both spherical and cylindrical shapes, while B. dorsalis flies were only attracted to the spherical model. In a closed orchard area, traps modified according to the best-performing combination used in the laboratory and greenhouse (shape and light) increased the capture counts of both species over time, with Z. tau exhibiting greater visual attraction sensitivity than B. dorsalis. These findings provide a theoretical and scientific foundation for improving trapping techniques targeting these two species.
Keywords:
behavior; Bactrocera species; LED light; attraction rate; sensitivity
