The impact of sterile insect technique processes on the performance of tephritid flies

Abstract The sterile insect technique (SIT) is a pest control method that has been successful in controlling various species of fruit flies of economic importance worldwide. However, SIT procedures can affect the performance of mass‐reared sterile fruit flies, compromising the SIT effectiveness. This review aims to identify and analyze the adverse effects associated with each step of the SIT. Special emphasis is placed on identifying critical points in the SIT process that compromise the quality and highlighting the stages that require greater optimization to improve the effectiveness of the technique. We reviewed the main scientific findings that document the impact of domestication, mass‐rearing, irradiation, handling, and release on the biology, ecology, behavior, and genetic makeup of sterile males, and how they affect the performance of sterile males under natural conditions, and the effectiveness of the SIT. Although all stages of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) impose some degree of compromise on insect performance, domestication and mass‐rearing have the most profoundly negative impact on the field performance of sterile fruit flies. As the initial and most influential stages, they largely determine the overall quality and competitiveness of released insects, exerting a stronger impact than any subsequent SIT component.