Influence of Bacteria on Larval Survival and Development in Rhagoletis (Diptera: Tephritidae)

The effect of the bacterium Klebsiella oxytoca on the fitness of Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh) and R. suavis (Loew) was tested by removal and reinfection experiments in the laboratory. The absence of the bacterium did not positively or negatively affect most components of fitness studied. These results suggest that larvae of Rhagoletis do not depend on gut microflora to provide essential nutrients or to detoxify plant secondary compounds.