Melon Fruit Fly
Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett) (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae)

• Native to tropical Asia and widespread as far west as Pakistan. It is present and common all over Papua New Guinea (but still absent on Manus and less common in the Highlands than at lower elevations). It was discovered in Solomon Islands in 1984, and is now widespread in all provinces, except Makira, Rennell-Bellona and Temotu. It has been introduced and occurs in Hawai'i (first detected in 1895), Guam (detected in 1936), Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (detected in 1943, eradicated by sterile insect release in 1963, but reestablished, from neighboring Guam, in 1981), and Nauru (detected in 1982 and eradicated in 1999 by male annihilation and protein bait spraying, but re-introduced in 2001). It is also present in some parts of Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritius, Réunion).
• Over 125 species of hosts have been recorded for this species, based on extensive host surveys in Asia and Hawai'i. Plants in the family Cucurbitaceae are, however, the usual hosts. In southeast Asia, it has been reared from 42 host species, in 26 genera and 12 families (Allwood et al, 1999). Nine species of cucurbit hosts have been recorded in the Pacific. There are numerous records from other plant families, many requiring confirmation. Some of the non-cucurbit hosts recorded in Asia and Hawaii include, among others, beans (Vigna unguiculata and Phaseolus vulgaris) and papaya (Carica papaya).

• Allwood, A.J., Chinajariyawong, A., Drew, R.A.I., Hamacek, E.L., Hancock, D.L., Hengsawad, C., Jinapin, J.C., Jirasurat, M., Kong Krong, C., Kritsaneepaiboon, S., Leong, C.T.S., and S. Vijaysegaran. 1999. Host plant records for fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in South-East Asia. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. Supplement 7. 92 pp. (Complete host list in Asia).
• 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.
• 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.
• Hancock, D.L., Hamacek, E., Lloyd, A.C., Elson-Harris, M.M. 2000. The distribution and host plants of fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Australia. Queensland Department of Primary Industries. Information Series QI99067. 75 pp.
• 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.
• White, I.M. and Elson-Harris, M.M 1992. Fruit Flies of Economic significance: Their Identification and Bionomics. CAB International in Association with ACIAR. Redwood Press Ltd., Melksham.xii + 601
• White, I.M. and Hancock, D.L. 1997. Indo-Australasian Dacini Fruit Flies (Computera Aided Biological Identification Key) International Institute of Entomology; London. CD-ROM.
• Aluja, A and Norrbom, A.L. 200. Fruit Flies (Tephritidae) Phylogeny and Evolution of Behavior. CRC Press 944 pp.
• Robinson, A.S. and Hooper, G. (eds.) 1989 Fruit Flies THeir Biology, Natural Enemies and Control. World Crop Pests 3A.Elsevier. xiii. + 372 pp.
• Robinson, A.S. and Hooper, G. (eds.) 1989 Fruit Flies THeir Biology, Natural Enemies and Control. World Crop Pests 3B.Elsevier. xv. + 447 pp.
• Hancock et al. 2000. The Distribution and Host Plants of Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Australia. DPI Queensland Brisbane
• Thompson C.F. (ed.) Fruit Fly Expert Identification System and Systematic Information Database. North American Dipterist Society - Backhuys, Leyden. 524 pp.
• Eta, C.R. 1985. Eradication of the melon fly from Shortland Islands (special report). Solomon Islands Agricultural Quarantine Service, Annual Report. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Honiara.
• Hollingsworth, R., Allwood, A.J. 2000. Melon fly. SPC Pest Advisory Leaflet. Draft. 2pp.
• Hollingsworth, R., Vagalo, M., Tsatsia, F. 1997. Biology of melon fly, with special reference to Solomon Islands. pp. 140-144 in: Allwood, A.J., and Drew, R.A I., Management of fruit flies in the Pacific. ACIAR Proceedings No 76. 267pp. (Host list, seasonal abundance). Johnson, V. 1988. Survey of melon fly in the Solomon Islands, final report. Internal report, Agricultural Quarantine Service, Solomon Islands Government.
• Mitchell, W.C. 1980. Verification of the absence of Oriental fruit and melon fruit fly following an eradication program in the Mariana Islands. Proceedings, Hawaiian Entomological Society. 23: 239-243.
• Steiner, L.F., Harris, E.J., Mitchell, W.C., Fujimoto, M.S., Christenson, L.D. 1965. Melon fly eradication by overflooding with sterile flies. Journal of Economic Entomology. 58: 519-522.
• Tsatsia, F., Hollingsworth, R. 1997. Rearing techniques for Dacus solomonensis and Bactrocera cucurbitae in Solomon Islands. pp. 157-160 in: Allwood, A.J., and Drew, R.A I., Management of fruit flies in the Pacific. ACIAR Proceedings No 76. 267pp.
• Wong, T.Y., Cunningham, R.T., McInnis, D.O., Gilmore, J.E. 1989. Spatial distribution and abundance of Dacus cucurbitae (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Environmental Entomology. 18: 1079-1082.

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