Data from: Thermal acclimation and environment drive field dispersal patterns of adult Mediterranean fruit flies

The study examines how thermal acclimation and environmental conditions interact to influence dispersal of Mediterranean fruit fly adults in the field. Four release–recapture trials were conducted using wildish marked adults acclimated at 20, 25 or 30 °C. Trials were performed in two contrasting habitats: a mixed-fruit orchard containing host plants and an olive orchard lacking hosts. Trapping grids centered on release points were established using McPhail and Jackson traps positioned at increasing distances. At ten days of age, 100 individuals per sex and treatment were released at each site. The overall recapture rate was 14.8%, with males recaptured more frequently than females. Recapture rates increased with ambient temperature and declined rapidly over time, with most individuals captured close to release points and within ten days. Sites containing host plants yielded higher recaptures, whereas thermal acclimation had no significant effect.