The melon fruit fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is distributed widely in temperate, tropical, and sub-tropical regions of the world. It has been reported to damage 81 host plants and is a major pest of cucurbitaceous vegetables, particularly the bitter gourd (Momordica charantia), muskmelon (Cucumis melo), snap melon (C. melo var. momordica), and snake gourd (Trichosanthes anguina). The extent of losses vary between 30 to 100%, depending on the cucurbit species and the season. Its abundance increases when the temperatures fall below 32° C, and the relative humidity ranges between 60 to 70%. It prefers to infest young, green, soft-skinned fruits. It inserts the eggs 2 to 4 mm deep in the fruit tissues, and the maggots feed inside the fruit. Pupation occurs in the soil at 0.5 to 15 cm below the soil surface. Keeping in view the importance of the pest and crop, melon fruit fly management could be done using local area management and wide area management. The melon fruit fly can successfully be managed over a local area by bagging fruits, field sanitation, protein baits, cue-lure traps, growing fruit fly-resistant genotypes, augmentation of biocontrol agents, and soft insecticides. The wide area management program involves the coordination of different characteristics of an insect eradication program (including local area options) over an entire area within a defensible perimeter, and subsequently protected against reinvasion by quarantine controls. Although, the sterile insect technique has been successfully used in wide area approaches, this approach needs to use more sophisticated and powerful technologies in eradication programs such as insect transgenesis and geographical information systems, which could be deployed over a wide area. Various other options for the management of fruit fly are also discussed in relation to their bio-efficacy and economics for effective management of this pest.

/pdf/the-melon-fruit-fly-bactrocera-cucurbitae-a-review-of-its-11brdssq1u.pdf

The melon fruit fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae: a review of its biology and management.

Life table gives the most comprehensive description on the survival, stage differentiation and reproduction of a population and is thus the most important basis of population ecology and pest management. In this study, we constructed life tables for Bactrocera cucurbitae on cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) in the laboratory and under simulated field conditions. To assess the variability of the life tables, we carried out two experiments under each treatment. Means, variances and standard errors of life table parameters were estimated for each of the two experiments by using the jackknife technique. At 25°C, the intrinsic rates of increase (r) found for the two experiments were 0.1354 and 0.1002 per day, and the net reproductive rates (R0) were 206.3 and 66.0 offspring, respectively. For cucumbers kept in the field and covered with leaves, the r and R0 for the two experiments were 0.0935 and 0.0909 per day, and 17.5 and 11.4 offspring, respectively. However, if cucumbers were kept in the field but were not covered, the r and R0 for the two experiments were 0.1043 and 0.0904 per day, and 27.7 and 10.1 offspring, respectively. Our results revealed significant variability between the experiments under both laboratory and field conditions; this variability should be taken into consideration in the data collection and application of life tables. However, our mathematical analysis shows that the application of the jackknife technique will result in biologically unrealistic R0,i-pseudo and consequently overestimation of the variance of R0. According to our analysis, we suggest that the jackknife technique should not be used for the estimation of variability of the net reproductive rate.

Life tables of Bactrocera cucurbitae (Diptera: Tephritidae): with an invalidation of the jackknife technique

Methyl eugenol (4-allyl-1,2-dimethoxybenzene-carboxylate) and cue-lure [4-(p-acetoxyphenyl)-2-butanone] are highly attractive kairomone lures to oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), and melon fly, B. cucurbitae (Coquillett), respectively. Plastic bucket traps were evaluated as dispensers for methyl eugenol and cue-lure for suppression of the 2 fruit flies in Hawaii. Methyl eugenol and cue-lure mixtures were compared with pure methyl eugenol or cue-lure over 4 seasons. B. dorsalis captures differed significantly with treatment and season. B. dorsalis captures with 100% methyl-eugenol were significantly greater than all other treatments (25, 50, and 75%). B. cucurbitae captures also differed significantly with treatment but not with season. Captures with 100, 75, and 50% cue-lure were not significantly different. Bucket traps baited with cue-lure (+ malathion) and weathered under Hawaiian climatic conditions were attractive to B. cucurbitae up to 8 wk. Two methyl eugenol dispensers (canec disks and Min-U-Gel) were compared with bucket traps. Dispensers (methyl eugenol + malathion) were weathered for 2-16 wk under Hawaiian climatic conditions and bioassayed during summer and winter. Initially, captures of B. dorsalis were not significantly different for the 3 dispensers. Bucket traps and canec disks were most resistant to weather, remaining attractive to B. dorsalis flies up to 16 wk. Min-U-Gel was least resistant, losing attractiveness to B. dorsalis flies within 2 wk. On the basis of performance, bucket traps and canec disks were equally long-lived up to 14 wk; thereafter, bucket traps were slightly more attractive during winter. Canec disks were cheapest, but on the basis of possible environmental concerns, bucket traps may be the best all-around choice for areawide suppression of fruit flies.

Methyl eugenol and cue-lure traps for suppression of male oriental fruit flies and melon flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Hawaii: effects of lure mixtures and weathering.

Reproductive and population parameters of melon flies, Bactrocera cucurbitae Coquillett, oriental fruit flies, B. dorsalis Hendel, and Mediterranean fruit flies, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), were measured in environmental chambers maintained at temperatures of (maximum:minimum) 24:13, 24:24, 29:18, and 35:24 ± 1°C. Alternating temperature regimes more realistically approached the variation found in nature and produced higher parameters than an optimal constant temperature (24°C). Intra- and interspecific comparisons were done with 4 separate generations of wild fruit flies reared on a common natural host. All species attained their highest intrinsic rates of population increase at 29:18 or 35:24°C; C. capitata exhibited the highest intrinsic rates of increase at all temperature regimes. All species attained maximum net reproductive rates at 29:18°C, in the order C. capitata > B. dorsalis > B. cucurbitae. The 35:24°C regime caused reductions in net reproductive rates of all species, with B. dorsalis affected most strongly. Male longevity was greater than that of females for all species in all temperature regimes. Two distinctly different life history patterns were evident: (1) early reproduction, short life span, and a high intrinsic rate of increase (C. capitata), and (2) later onset of reproduction, longer life span, and a lower intrinsic rate of increase (B. cucurbitae).

https://bioone.org/journals/Annals-of-the-Entomological-Society-of-America/volume-93/issue-1/0013-8746(2000)093[0075:CDOTHF]2.0.CO;2/Comparative-Demography-of-Three-Hawaiian-Fruit-Flies-Diptera--Tephritidae/10.1603/0013-8746(2000)093[0075:CDOTHF]2.0.CO;2.pdf

Comparative Demography of Three Hawaiian Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) at Alternating Temperatures

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Aqueous extract of neem seed kernel (NSKE) was tested for its effect on the fecundity and post-embryonic development of Bactrocera cucurbitae and Bactrocera dorsalis, when fed as water source. Comparisons were made with pure azadirachtin to ascertain its role as a compound responsible for these effects. Three oviposition dates (10, 15 and 20) after adult emergence were chosen. In the 10 day experiment no egg laying was recorded at a concentration of 0.25% NSKE for both the species. By the 20th day, mean number of eggs laid were 93 for B. cucurbitae and 100 for B. dorsalis at the same concentration as compared with 241 and 243 eggs in respective controls. This pattern of recovery was observed for the first time using neem extracts on B. cucurbitae and B. dorsalis. Effect on fertility were evident as the per cent egg-hatch in the 10-day experiment ranged from 56 to 72 and 61 to 75% for B. cucurbitae and B. dorsalis respectively, compared with 99 and 99% in controls. The overall egg hatch ranged between 56 and 85% for both the species, covering the reproductive age of the flies. There was no significant effect on pupation. Per cent pupation of the hatched larvae was >90%, while the adult emergence calculated from the number of larvae that pupated was >62%, for both the species, however, when calculated from the initial number of eggs laid the post-embryonic effects were evident. The effects on fecundity, fertility and adult emergence were confirmed with pure azadirachtin. As with NSKE, pupation was not much affected, however, significant effects on adult emergence and behaviour were recorded. The post-embryonic effects of neem seed kernel extracts on the two species of fruit flies was confirmed for the first time. Being safe, cheap and renewable, neem extract can be effectively used as an excellent alternative to synthetic insecticides.

Effects of aqueous extract of neem seed kernel and azadirachtin on the fecundity, fertility and post-embryonic development of the melonfly, Bactrocera cucurbitae and the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Host suitability of wild cucurbits for melon fly, Dacus cucurbitae Coquillett, in Hawaii, with notes on their distribution and taxonomic status.

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Host suitability of wild cucurbits for melon fly, Dacus cucurbitae Coquillett, in Hawaii, with notes on their distribution and taxonomic status.