Pacific Pests, Pathogens and Weeds - Online edition

Pacific Pests, Pathogens & Weeds

Tonga fruit flies (171)


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Summary

  • Bactrocera kirki abiu, avocado, guava, mango, noni, Malay apple, and more; Bactrocera facialis - wide, on 29 families of vegetables/fruit crops (notably, chilli, capsicum, guava); Bactrocera xanthodes - abiu, avocado, breadfruit, jackfruit, papaya, soursop, and more.
  • 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., some chilli varieties and pineapple in Fiji.
  • Chemical control: use a commercial protein bait spray, e.g. MPPIL, Royal Tongalure or Bactrogel.

Common Name

There are six fruit flies in Tonga. The species of economic importance are: (i) Bactrocera facialis (except the Niuas); (ii) Pacific fruit fly (Bactrocera xanthodes), (iii) Bactrocera kirki; (iv) Bactrocera species near passiflorae (Niuas only); and (v) Bactrocera distincta.

Scientific Name

Bactrocera facialis, Bactrocera kirki, Bactrocera xanthodes, Bactrocera passiflorae, Bactrocera distincta, and Bactrocera obscura. 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 from Samoa


AUTHOR Grahame Jackson
Information (and photos) Fruit flies in Tonga (2001), SPC Pest Advisory Leaflet 41 (https://lrd.spc.int/pest-advisory-leaflet); and from Fruit fly control methods for Pacific island countries and territories (2001), SPC Pest Advisory Leaflet 40. (https://lrd.spc.int/pubs/cat_view/469-pest-advisory-leaflets).

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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