''Bactrocera passiflorae'', the Fijian fruit fly, is a species of fly in the family Tephritidae in the insect order

Diptera Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced ...

. It is native to several tropical and subtropical islands in the Pacific Ocean and is a pest of fruit crops.

Description

The adult ''Bactrocera passiflorae'' is similar in appearance to and slightly smaller than a

housefly The housefly (''Musca domestica'') is a fly of the suborder Cyclorrhapha. It is believed to have evolved in the Cenozoic Era, possibly in the Middle East, and has spread all over the world as a commensal of humans. It is the most common fl ...

. It is black apart from yellow markings on the sides of the thorax and a triangular patch of yellow on the dorsal part of the hind part of the thorax. The wings are transparent with the exception of the dusky leading edge.

Distribution and habitat

''Bactrocera passiflorae'' occurs on

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

but not on Rotuma, on Niue, on Tonga and on Wallis and Futuna. It can be found where there is ripening fruit, in gardens, orchards, villages, towns and coastal locations, but not in dense forests. Its hosts include such fruits as passion fruit,

guava Guava () is a common tropical fruit cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. The common guava ''Psidium guajava'' (lemon guava, apple guava) is a small tree in the myrtle family ( Myrtaceae), native to Mexico, Central America, the ...

Indian almond ''Terminalia catappa'' is a large tropical tree in the leadwood tree family, Combretaceae, native to Asia, Australia, the Pacific, Madagascar and Seychelles. Common names in English include country almond, Indian almond, Malabar almond, sea almo ...

rose apple Rose apple may refer to: * ''Angophora costata'', a common woodland and forest tree of Eastern Australia * Various Syzygium species, especially the following: **''Syzygium aqueum'', Watery rose apple **''Syzygium jambos'', Rose apple or jamb **''Syz ...

cashew The cashew tree (''Anacardium occidentale'') is a tropical evergreen tree native to South America in the genus ''Anacardium'' that produces the cashew seed and the cashew apple accessory fruit. The tree can grow as tall as , but the dwarf cult ...

breadfruit Breadfruit (''Artocarpus altilis'') is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry and jackfruit family (Moraceae) believed to be a domesticated descendant of ''Artocarpus camansi'' originating in New Guinea, the Maluku Islands, and the Philippi ...

, pawpaw, kumquat, orange,

mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

, pomelo,

mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree ''Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South a ...

, Malay apple, Pacific lychee, '' Ochrosia oppositifolia'', '' Cerbera manghas'', ''

Barringtonia edulis ''Barringtonia edulis'' is a species of tree with edible fruits from the southwestern Pacific region, being found on Fiji and Vanuatu. Common names include cut nut, pao nut, boxfruit tree, heart tree, and yum-yum tree. In Fiji, it is known as ...

'', and Tahitian chestnut.

Ecology

''Bactrocera passiflorae'' feeds on fruit juices,

nectar Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries or nectarines, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualists ...

, honeydew, bird droppings and bacteria. The fruit flies are attracted to fruit by their shape and colour, and by the smell of the fruit and foliage. The female fly punctures the skin of the fruit with its

ovipositor The ovipositor is a tube-like organ used by some animals, especially insects, for the laying of eggs. In insects, an ovipositor consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages. The details and morphology of the ovipositor vary, but typical ...

and lays a batch of eggs under the surface; this process introduces bacteria into the fruit which starts to rot. The eggs hatch after about two days and the larvae start to eat the rotting flesh. When the rotten fruit falls to the ground, the larvae move into the soil and pupate. After

metamorphosis Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops including birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation. Some inse ...

, the adult flies emerge, with the newly emerged females needing additional supplies of protein-rich food before they became sexually mature. The whole life cycle from egg to adult takes some 18 to 20 days. Where this fly occurs it can be very damaging, occurring in up to 100% of the fruit. The insects are killed if the picked or fallen fruits are eaten by vertebrates;

parasitoid In evolutionary ecology, a parasitoid is an organism that lives in close association with its host (biology), host at the host's expense, eventually resulting in the death of the host. Parasitoidism is one of six major evolutionarily stable str ...

s attack the larvae and the pupae suffer heavy mortality in the soil. Classical

biological pest control Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests, such as insects, mites, weeds, and plant diseases, using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms, but typically also invo ...

has not been successful at controlling the fruit flies but may cause a decrease in their numbers.

References

{{taxonbar, from=Q14728649 Bactrocera Insects described in 1910 Insects of Oceania Agricultural pest insects