Novel RNA viruses producing simultaneous covert infections in Ceratitis capitata. Correlations between viral titers and host fitness, and implications for SIT programs

•Three novel RNA viruses have been found covertly infecting medflies.•Sterile insect technique (SIT) has been implemented in integrated programs for medfly control.•Two of these viruses infects field as well as insects used for the mass-production of males for SIT programs.•Higher viral titers of CcaNV have been found in SIT males with shorter lifespan.

The Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly), Ceratitis capitata is a highly polyphagous pest, which infests multiple species of fruits and vegetables worldwide. In addition to the traditional control with chemical insecticides, sterile insect technique (SIT) has been implemented in integrated programs worldwide, and has become an essential measure for the control of this pest. A key issue for SIT is to release sterile males that are sufficiently competitive with males from the wild population. Using sequence information available in public databases, three novel picornaviruses infecting medflies were discovered and named as C. capitata iflavirus 1 and 2 (CcaIV1 and CcaIV2), and C. capitata noravirus (CcaNV). Additional analyses have revealed the presence of CcaIV2 and CcaNV covertly infecting most of the medfly strains used in the different SIT programs around the world, as well as in field captures in the east of Spain. High viral titers of CcaNV were associated with a reduction in the lifespan of males released to the field for the control of this pest, suggesting the possibility that CcaNV may impair the fitness of sterile flies produced by SIT programs.

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