Chill-coma recovery time, age and sex determine lipid profiles in Ceratitis capitata tissues.

The remodeling of membrane composition by changes in phospholipid head groups and fatty acids (FA) degree of unsaturation has been associated with the maintenance of membrane homeostasis under stress conditions. Overall lipid levels and the composition of cuticle lipids also influence insect stress resistance and tissue protection. In a previous study, we demonstrated differences in survival, behavior and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase gene expression between subgroups of Ceratitis capitata flies that had a reversible recovery from chill-coma and those that developed chilling-injury.

Analysis of survival, gene expression and behavior following chill-coma in the medfly Ceratitis capitata: effects of population heterogeneity and age.

The medfly Ceratitis capitata is an agricultural pest distributed worldwide thanks, in part, to its phenotypic plasticity of thermal tolerance. Cold exposure has been shown to reduce C. capitata survival, which may affect its distribution in areas with subfreezing temperatures.

Lipid profiles as indicators of functional senescence in the medfly.

Changes associated with the age-related decline of physiological functions, and their relation with mortality rates, are thoroughly being investigated in the aging research field. We used the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata, largely studied by biodemographers, as a model for functional senescence studies. The aim of our work was to find novel combinatorial indicators able to reflect the functional state of adult insects, regardless of chronological age.

Photosensitizing effect of hematoporphyrin IX on immature stages of Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae).

Immature stages of Ceratitis capitata were tested as a model for hematoporphyrin IX (HP IX) phototoxicity. The lethal concentration 50 (LC(50)) of HP IX in the food was determined during postembryonic development until adult emergence as 0.173 mm (95% CI: 0.