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Pacific Pests & Pathogens - Mini Fact Sheet Edition

Fruit flies - Samoa (169)

Photo 1. Bactrocera kirki.

Photo 2. Pacific fruit fly, Bactrocera xanthodes.

Photo 3. Pacific fruit fly, Bactrocera xanthodes, laying eggs.

Photo 4. Fruit fly eggs.

Photo 5. Fruit fly larvae or maggots.

Photo 6. Fruit fly pupae.

Photo 7. Newspaper with edges folded and stapled to form a bag in which to insert fruit to protect it from fruit flies.

Photo 8. Banana leaves used to wrap a fruit bunch to prevent attack by fruit flies, other pests, and to promote uniform ripening, in Papua New Guinea.

Summary

Bactrocera kirki – abiu, avocado, guava, mango, noni, Malay apple, and more; and B. xanthodes - abiu, avocado, breadfruit, jackfruit, papaya, soursop, and more. Both, are of economic importance. A third, B. distincta, in a minor pest of star apple.
Females need protein before they can lay viable eggs.
Cultural control: growing vegetables out of season; bag fruit with paper or leaves; collect fallen fruit and destroy; harvest early (papaya); some non-hosts, e.g., chilli, pineapple.
Chemical control: use a commercial protein bait spray, e.g. MPPIL, Royal Tongalure or Bactrogel.

Common Name

There are seven species of fruit flies in Samoa. Two fruit flies are of major economic importance: Bactrocera kirki (no common name) and the Pacific fruit fly (Bactrocera xanthodes), a third, Bactrocera distincta, is a minor pest of star apple (Chrysophyllum cainito).

Scientific Name

Bactrocera kirki, Bactrocera xanthodes, Bactrocera distincta, Bactrocera obscura, Bactrocera aenigmatica, Bactrocera samoae, and a new species similar to Bactrocera paraxanthodes. Bactrocera xanthodes is closely related to three other species. These are: Bactrocera paraxanthodea in New Caledonia, and Bactrocera neoxanthodes in Vanuatu, and a species not yet described in Samoa.

AUTHOR Grahame Jackson
Information (and photos) Fruit flies in Samoa (2002), SPC Pest Advisory Leaflet 3; and from Fruit fly control methods for Pacific island countries and territories (2001), SPC Pest Advisory Leaflet 40.

Produced with support from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research under project PC/2010/090: Strengthening integrated crop management research in the Pacific Islands in support of sustainable intensification of high-value crop production, implemented by the University of Queensland and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.

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