An improved quarantine method for mangoes against the Mexican fruit fly based on high-pressure processing combined with heat

The Mexican fruit fly Anastrepha ludens Loew (Diptera: Tephritidae) is one of the most important insects infesting mangoes, citrus, and other fruits in Mexico and other Latin-American countries. Quarantine methods approved to destroy this insect decrease the shelf life of commodities. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of high-pressure processing using an initial temperature of 50°C on the survivorship of eggs and larvae of the Mexican fruit fly. Eggs and larvae were pressurized at 25, 50, 75, 100, or 150MPa for 0, 5, 10, or 20min. The hatching ability of pressurized eggs of 1, 2, 3, and 4 days old and survivorship of the first, second, and third instars were registered. Further, the ability to pupate was studied in surviving third instars. The results showed that eggs were more resistant than larvae to the high-pressure processing. Treatments at 150MPa at initial 50°C for 10min destroyed all eggs and larvae of A. ludens, indicating that this process might be useful as a quarantine method for infested mangoes or other fruits.