The handbook and this website integrate all the techniques currently used in Australia for the identification of (primarily exotic) fruit fly species, using both taxonomy and molecular biology techniques. The handbook has been compiled by diagnosticians as a working handbook for diagnosticians.
Australian Handbook for the Identification of Fruit Fly
The accurate identification of fruit flies is a key component of Australia’s biosecurity system that underpins the domestic movement of fruit and vegetables, maintains international market access for Australian producers and protects Australia’s borders from exotic pest incursions.
Version 3.1 of the Australian Handbook for the Identification of Fruit Flies has been comprehensively reviewed in consultation with, and with input from, fruit fly entomologists, scientists, academics and diagnosticians from Australia and overseas, including government departments of agriculture or primary industries and research institutions.
The handbook is a compilation of diagnostic information for 65 fruit fly species, most of which are exotic to Australia, including the non-tephritid fruit infesting Drosophila suzukii (spotted-wing Drosophila). The handbook is intended to facilitate rapid diagnosis of fruit fly species and be a comprehensive guide for Australian diagnosticians and field officers involved in maintaining, supporting and enhancing Australia’s biosecurity system.