A decrease in insect diversity worldwide highlights the urgency to invest in environmentally friendly means of control for insect pests. One of the most successful techniques used worldwide against certain pests is the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT). This method consists in the mass production, sterilization, and release of insects into infested areas, where sterile males mate with wild females resulting in no offspring and thus reducing pest populations. SIT does not target other insects such as pollinators, does not introduce foreign genetic material into the population, and decreases the use of insecticides. However, the effectiveness of the SIT depends on sterile males performing suitable pre-copulatory and post-copulatory behaviours in order to compete with wild males. Most of the attention has traditionally focused on pre-copulatory behaviours, with relatively fewer studies on post-copulatory mechanisms. Here I will focus on our efforts at understanding how the male ejaculate modulates female post-copulatory behavior in the Mexican fruit fly. Finally, I will finish with a reflection on the difficulties of doing research at a state university in Mexico, the cultural and financial hurdles that have to be overcome, the creativity and resilience that is needed when things can drastically and suddenly change without warning due to policy makers. I will briefly talk about my experience, the importance of mentors and supporting other young Latina scientists particularly through motherhood, and how being a Latinx scientist can also bring you unexpected opportunities.
