Fruit-fly pests and their present status in India.
Kapoor V. C.
Author Affiliation: College of Basic Sciences, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana - 141 004, India.
: 23-33
Abstract : Two hundred species of fruit flies are known from India. Not all are pests. Only 35 to 40 species are so far associated, directly or indirectly, with their host plants. Major pest species belong to the subfamily Dacinae. These belong to the genus Bactrocera; e.g. B. cucurbitae, B. dorsalis and B. zonata. B. cucurbitae is a major pest of almost all cucurbits and damages up to 70% of these fruits. It often competes with Dacus ciliatus, B. scutellaris and B. tau. D. ciliatus sometimes dominates B. cucurbitae in round gourds (tinda) and squash melons (Citrullus lanatus var. fistulossus). B. dorsalis occurs in a complex of at least four species; of these only the true D. dorsalis is of greatest importance. B. zonata has now surpassed D. dorsalis in many mango growing areas. It is believed to occur in a complex of two to three species. Both B. zonata and B. dorsalis compete strongly with B. correcta in guava in some important fruit-growing areas in India, which sometimes becomes a major threat. Other fruit fly species are currently confined to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and their entry into mainland India need to be very carefully monitored.