Bactrocera distincta (Malloch)
Drawing of male B. distincta (Drawing: M. Romig)
DISTRIBUTION: Fiji Islands, Tonga, Samoa, American Samoa, Futuna.
HOST PLANTS: It infests 10 host species, in 9 genera and 5 families, but mostly in the family Sapotaceae. There are several more records that need to be confirmed. Published host records in Fiji, Tonga and Samoa are:
Plant families
Plant species Common names TONGA
FIJI
SAMOA
MYRTACEAE Eugenia brasiliensis -
- - X SAPOTACEAE
Burkella richii
Kau'uta (Tongan name)
X
- - SAPOTACEAE
Chrysophyllum cainito
Star apple
X
X X SAPOTACEAE
Manilkara zapota
Sapodilla
X
X
X SAPOTACEAE Planchonella costata Kalaka (Tongan name) X - - SAPOTACEAE
Planchonella membranacea
Kau tahi (Tongan name)
X
X
- Sources of published host data:
Drew, R.A.I. 1989. The Tropical Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae) of the Australasian and Oceanian regions. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum. 26: 1-521.
Litsinger, J.A, Fakalata, O.K., Faluku, T.L., Crooker, P.S. and N. von Keyserlingk. 1991. A Study of Fruit Fly Species (Tephritidae) Occuring in the Kingdom of Tonga. pp. 177-190 in: Vijaysegaran, S., and A.G. Ibrahim (Eds). First Symposium on Fruit Flies in the Tropics. Kuala Lumpur, 1988. Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute. Kuala Lumpur.
Tora Vueti, E. 2000. Fruit Flies in Fiji Islands. SPC Pest Advisory Leaflet No 28. 4pp.
Tora Vueti, E., Allwood, A.J., Leweniqila, L., Ralulu, L., Balawakula, A., Malau, A., Sales, F. and K. Peleti. 1997. Fruit Fly Fauna in Fiji, Tuvalu, Wallis and Futuna, Tokelau and Nauru. pp. 60-63 in: Allwood, A.J. and R.A.I. Drew. Management of Fruit Flies in the Pacific. ACIAR Proceedings No 76. 267p.
Tunupopo Laiti, F., Enosa, B., Peters, A. and E. Tora Vueti. 2002. Fruit flies in Samoa. SPC Pest Advisory Leaflet No 32. 4pp. Download the leaflet in English (327 Kb pdf document).
Tupou, S., Heimoana, V., Foliaki, S. and E. Tora Vueti. 2001. Fruit Flies in Tonga. SPC Pest Advisory Leaflet No 41. 4pp.
BIOLOGY: Adults of this species mate at dusk.
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE: Insignificant.
MALE LURE: Cue-lure.
QUARANTINE SURVEILLANCE: Cue-lure trapping and regular host fruit surveys of sapodilla and star apple.
OPTIONS FOR RESPONSE (If newly discovered in a country): Increased trapping, increased host fruit sampling.
CONTROL: Probably not necessary, but options are fruit bagging, protein bait spraying, destruction of fallen and overripe fruits.
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).
Tora Vueti, E., Ralulu, L., Walker, G.P., Allwood, A.J., Leweniqila, L., Balawakula, A. 1997. Host availability - Its impact on seasonal abundance of fruit flies. pp.105-110 in: Allwood, A.J., and Drew, R.A I., Management of fruit flies in the Pacific. ACIAR Proceedings No 76. 267pp. (Ecology, seasonal abundance).
Page updated on: 12 November, 2002