B. bryoniae female (Photo: S. Wilson) DISTRIBUTION: Widespread and common all over Papua New Guinea (every provinces except Bougainville and Manus), and Australia (coastal areas of Western Australia, Northern Territory, east coast south to Sydney, and the Torres Strait islands).
HOST PLANTS: Surveys in Australia and PNG have identified at least 9 host species in 8 genera and 5 families. Published records in PNG, indicate it has been bred from:
Plant families
Plant species Common names PNG
CUCURBITACEAE
Bryonopsis affinis
-
X
MUSACEAE
Musa sp
Banana
X
PASSIFLORACEAE
Passiflora foetida
Wild passionfruit
X
SOLANACEAE
Capsicum frutescens
Birdseye and Tabasco chilli
X
Sources of published host data:
Dori, F.M., Tenakanai, D. and K. Kurika. 1993. The Current Status of Fruit Flies (Tephritidae) in Papua New Guinea. Harvest. 15(2): 22-25.
Leblanc, L., Balagawi, S., Mararuai, A., Putulan, D., Tenakanai, D. and A.R. Clarke. 2001. Fruit Flies in Papua New Guinea. SPC Pest Advisory Leaflet No 37. 12pp.
Tenakanai, D. 1997. Fruit Fly Fauna in Papua New Guinea. pp. 87-94 in: Allwood, A.J. and R.A.I. Drew. Management of Fruit Flies in the Pacific. ACIAR Proceedings No 76. 267p.
BIOLOGY: Adults mate at dusk.ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE: No damage assessments have been done. Damage on Birdseye and Tabasco chilli sometimes important in PNG. Infestations on bananas have been reported by Drew (1989), but it has not been bred from banana during intensive host surveys by the PNG Fruit Fly Project.
MALE LURE: Cue-lure.
QUARANTINE SURVEILLANCE: Cue-lure trapping and regular host fruit surveys of Birdseye or Tabasco chilli. Cue-lure trapping and regular host fruit surveys of Birdseye or Tabasco chilli.
OPTIONS FOR RESPONSE (If newly discovered in a country): Increased trapping, increased host fruit sampling, restriction of fruit movement, protein bait spraying.
CONTROL: Protein bait spraying for chilli farmers, if damage is important.
REFERENCES:
Drew, R.A.I. 1989.The tropical fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae) of the Australasian and Oceanian regions. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum. Volume 26. 521 pp. (Description and illustration).
Page updated on: 12 November, 2002