Isolation and Characterization of Bacterial Gut Symbionts from Irradiated, Wild and Lab Reared Males of Melon Fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett)

The melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae is of serious concern inflicting heavy losses to the horticultural industry. It attacks cucurbits right from primordial stages crop up harvest and causing yield loss 30 100%. Sterile Insect Technique a species-specific environmentally non-polluting method insect control that relies on sterilization males using gamma rays systemic release sterile in wild environment. Male pupae Zeugodacus were exposed radiation at 50 Gy Cobalt-60 source. Bacterial gut symbionts males, field collected population laboratory reared fly isolated characterized based morphological characteristics (viz., colour, size, shape, opacity, margin, elevation viscosity), gram staining, morphology arrangement bacterial cells culture media. Ten adult flies sterile, used for isolation symbionts. most dominant phylum bacteria found among lab male was Proteobacteria followed by Firmicutes. Different genera Enterobacter, Providencia Bacillus. From males; Providencia, Morganella, Klebsiella Bacillus identified. obtained Among entire genus, common flies. Irradiation had resulted endosymbiotic males.