Evaluation of the efficacy of X-ray irradiation on male testes of Mediterranean fruit fly using light and transmission electron microscopy

The present study is to evaluate the efficacy of X-ray irradiation on testes of Ceratitis capitata (resulted from irradiated pupae) exposed to doses of 0 (control), 60.7, 137, 156.9, 237.7, 300.59 and 344.46 Gy to determine the suitable doses which do not effect on viability of irradiated fruit fly to compete with wild insects. Doses of 60.7 and 137 Gy were suitable as they did not effect on the most important quality characters for the emerged male and the resulted males from irradiated 7-day-old pupae were 100% sterile. Light and transmission electron microscopy were used to examine the structure of normal and treated male C. capitata testes. The non-irradiated testes of C. capitata consist of a single long follicle that looks like a sac and is full of germ cells at different stages of development. Appearance of lysosomes, many vacuoles, and irregular distribution of spermatogonia and spermatocyte, leading to an overall slowed rate of spermatogenesis in irradiated testes follicle. Apparent degeneration and abnormalities of the sperms lead to the production of non-functional sperm or reduction in sperm production of C. capitata. This study concluded that X-ray is an alternative irradiation technology for the sterile insect technique to control Medflies insect populations.