''Zeugodacus tau'' (
syn. ''Bactrocera tau''), the pumpkin fruit fly or the tau fruit fly, is a
species of fruit fly in the
family Tephritidae. The species is native to tropical and subtropical Asia. It is a major pest species of melons and other
cucurbits
The Cucurbitaceae, also called cucurbits or the gourd family, are a plant family consisting of about 965 species in around 95 genera, of which the most important to humans are:
*''Cucurbita'' – squash, pumpkin, zucchini, some gourds
*''Lagena ...
.
In 2023 the tau fruit fly was found in California. In response, the
California Department of Food and Agriculture imposed a quarantine on a portion of
Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, with 9,861,224 residents estimated as of 2022. It is the ...
.
References
Dacinae
Diptera of Asia
Taxa named by Francis Walker (entomologist)
Insects described in 1849
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