Host status of Persian lime (Citrus latifolia Tan.) to oriental fruit fly and Mediterranean fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Hawai’i

Authors: Follett, Peter; Sun, Xiuxiu; Walse, Spencer

Submitted to: Insects
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/13/2024
Publication Date: 10/14/2024
Citation: Follett, P.A., Sun, X.N., Walse, S.S. 2024. Host status of Persian lime (Citrus latifolia Tan.) to oriental fruit fly and Mediterranean fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Hawai’i. Insects 2024. 15(10):799.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15100799

Interpretive Summary: Mahi Pono is a large diversified farm on the island of Maui that recently planted 8,000 acres of Persian limes. This is the first time that this crop has been planted commercially in Hawaii and it is now the largest planting of a fruit crop in the state. Harvest volumes will soon exceed local demand and so export options are desirable. The research reported in this paper showed that Persian lime is a non-host for Mediterranean fruit fly and Oriental fruit fly and potentially could be exported with negligible risk to the US mainland. This paper will be used to support an export request to regulatory authorities at USDA APHIS.

Technical Abstract: We investigated the host status of harvest-ready green Persian lime, Citrus x latifolia Tan. (Rutaceae), to Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis [Hendel]) and Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata [Wiedemann]) (Diptera: Tephritidae) using laboratory and field studies. In forced-infestation small cage exposures (using 25 x 25 x 25-cm screened cages with 50 females) and large olfactometer cage tests (using 2.9 x 2.9 x 2.5-m walk-in screened cages with 100 females), punctured limes were infested by Oriental fruit fly and Mediterranean fruit fly at low rates compared to papaya controls, whereas undamaged intact fruit was not infested. Field collection and packing of 45,958 commercial export grade fruit and their incubation to look for natural infestation resulted in no fruit flies. Forced infestation studies in the field using sleeve cages to enclose fruit with a high density of fruit flies (50 females) on the tree also showed no infestation. Commercial export grade Persian lime fruit appears to be a conditional nonhost for Oriental fruit fly and Mediterranean fruit fly.