Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Hilo, Hawaii » Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center » Tropical Crop and Commodity Protection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #319786
Title: Medhost: An encyclopedic bibliography of the host plants of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), version 3.0

Author
item LIQUIDO, NICANOR - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
item McQuate, Grant
item SUITER, KARL - North Carolina State University

Submitted to: USDA CPHST Online Database
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/25/2015
Publication Date: 8/25/2015
Citation: Liquido, N.J., Mcquate, G.T., Suiter, K.A. 2015. Medhost: An encyclopedic bibliography of the host plants of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), version 3.0. United States Department of Agriculture, Center for Plant Health Science and Technology, Raleigh, N.C. Available online at: https://medhost.cphst.org/

Interpretive Summary: MEDHOST, Version 3.0 is the third revision of: “MEDHOST: An encyclopedic bibliography of the host plants of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), Version 1.0,” which was released in 1998 as a Windows-based executable database and listed all plant species reported as hosts of Mediterranean fruit fly (or potential hosts based on mere appearance on some lists). Mediterranean fruit fly imposes enormous constraints on the diversification of agricultural production and expansion of agricultural trade around the world. Mediterranean fruit flies cause direct damage to fruits and vegetables through oviposition and larval feeding, and restrict movement of commodities across national and international borders. Rigorous quarantine procedures are currently enforced to prevent domestic and transnational spread of economically significant fruit flies worldwide. Accessible and reliable information facilitating the determination of the host status of plants for the Mediterranean fruit fly is essential to the successful development of procedures to prevent the spread of Mediterranean fruit flies to locations where it is not already established. MedHost, version 1.0, became the standard reference on recognized host plants of the Mediterranean fruit fly for pest risk assessments (PRA’s) for the United States and its trading partners. It, also, became a primary reference on regulating commodities based on host status for import/export/interstate movement as well as in eradication programs. The present revision, MEDHOST version 3.0, documents 317 valid suitable Mediterranean fruit fly host plant species. These are plant species where there is infestation data recorded under cultivated, natural, or unmanaged field conditions. This total is considerably higher than the 234 suitable host plant species listed in MEDHOST, version 2.0. MEDHOST, version 3.0, maintains the accessibility to the database found in version 2.0 through use of an internet-based, interactive application.

Technical Abstract: The Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly), Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), causes direct damage to fruits and vegetables through oviposition and larval feeding. Rigorous quarantine procedures are currently enforced to prevent domestic and transnational spread of Medfly. Accessible and reliable information useful in determining the regulatory host or non-host status of the “recognized” host plants of Medfly is essential to successfully implement approved risk mitigation procedures specifically aimed to promote diversification of agricultural production and expansion of horticultural trade around the world. MEDHOST, Version 3.0, is the third revision of: “MEDHOST: An encyclopedic bibliography of the host plants of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), Version 1.0,” which was released in 1998 as a Windows-based executable database and listed all plant species reported as hosts of Mediterranean fruit fly (or potential hosts based on mere appearance on some lists). MEDHOST, Version 3.0, aims to provide relevant information to assess the risk of, and develop mitigation for, Medfly infestations in host commodities. It is an interactive web application integrating comprehensive botanical and infestation biology information on host plants of the Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) worldwide. MEDHOST, version 1.0, became the standard reference on recognized host plants of the Mediterranean fruit fly for pest risk assessments (PRA’s) for the United States and its trading partners. It, also, became a primary reference on regulating commodities based on host status for import/export/interstate movement as well as in eradication programs. The present revision, MEDHOST version 3.0, expands on the listing of suitable Mediterranean fruit fly host plant species that had been reported in MEDHOST 2.0. MEDHOST version 3.0, documents 317 valid suitable Mediterranean fruit fly host plant species. These are plant species where there is infestation data recorded under cultivated, natural, or unmanaged field conditions. This total is considerably higher than the 234 suitable host plant species listed in MEDHOST, version 2.0.