Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #167069
Title: POPULATIONS OF BACTROCERA CUCURBITAE (DIPTERA: TEPHRITIDAE) AND ITS PARASITOID, PSYTALIA FLETCHERI (HYMENOPTERA: BRACONIDAE) IN COCCINIA GRANDIS (CUCURBITACEAE) OR IVY GOURD ON THE ISLAND OF HAWAII

Author
item Jackson, Charles
item Vargas, Roger
item SUDA, DAVID - RETIRED ARS TECHNCN

Submitted to: Hawaiian Entomological Society Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2003
Publication Date: 12/30/2003
Citation: Jackson, C.G., Vargas, R.I., Suda, D.Y. 2003. Populations of bactrocera cucurbitae (diptera: tephritidae) and its parasitoid, psytalia fletcheri (hymenoptera: braconidae) in coccinia grandis (cucurbitaceae) or ivy gourd on the island of hawaii. Hawaiian Entomological Society Proceedings. 36:39-46.

Interpretive Summary: The melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett), readily lays eggs and develops in ivy or scarlet-fruited gourd, Coccinia grandis (L.). This plant has become naturalized in Hawaii where it is considered a noxious weed. We sampled C. grandis over a two-year period from several locations in the Kona region of Hawaii. In 1993 and 1994, average numbers of 500 to more than 800 adult melon flies per kg of fruit were recovered indicating that C. grandis is an important contributor to this pest's population. Natural parasitism of melon flies by the introduced braconid wasp, Psyttalia fletcheri (Silvestri), averaged 5.5% during the two-year study. Less than 1.0% of the fruit was infested by the oriental fruit fly, B. dorsalis (Hendel), and the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann).

Technical Abstract: The melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett), readily lays eggs and develops in ivy or scarlet-fruited gourd, Coccinia grandis (L.). This plant has become naturalized in Hawaii where it is considered a noxious weed. We sampled C. grandis over a two-year period from several locations in the Kona region of Hawaii. In 1993 and 1994, average numbers of 500 to more than 800 adult melon flies per kg of fruit were recovered indicating that C. grandis is an important contributor to this pest's population. Natural parasitism of melon flies by the introduced braconid wasp, Psyttalia fletcheri (Silvestri), averaged 5.5% during the two-year study. Less than 1.0% of the fruit was infested by the oriental fruit fly, B. dorsalis (Hendel), and the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann).