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<em>Bactrocera dorsalis</em>

Bactrocera dorsalis

Oriental fruit fly
Previous scientific names: Dacus dorsalis Hendel, Bactrocera (Bactrocera) dorsalis, Bactrocera (Bactrocera) invadens, Bactrocera (Bactrocera) papayae, Bactrocera (Bactrocera) philippinensis, Bactrocera (Bactrocera) variabilis, Bactrocera ferruginea, Chaetodacus ferrugineus, Chaetodacus ferrugineus dorsalis, Chaetodacus ferrugineus var. dorsalis, Chaetodacus ferrugineus var. okinawanus, Dacus (Bactrocera) dorsalis, Dacus (Bactrocera) semifemoralis, Dacus (Bactrocera) vilanensis, Dacus (Strumeta) dorsalis, Dacus dorsalis, Dacus ferrugineus, Musca ferruginea, Strumeta dorsalis, Strumeta dorsalis okinawa, Strumeta ferruginea

Diagnosis

Morphological – adult

Features include:

  • face fulvous with a pair of medium sized circular black spots
  • scutum colour variable red-brown to black, with lanceolate dark patterning in intermediate forms
  • postpronotal lobes and notopleura yellow
  • mesopleural stripe reaching midway between anterior margin of notopleuron and anterior npl. seta dorsally
  • broad parallel sided lateral postsutural vittae ending behind ia. seta
  • medial postsutural vitta absent
  • scutellum yellow
  • legs with femora entirely fulvous, fore tibiae pale fuscous and hind tibiae fuscous
  • wings with cells bc and c colourless, microtrichia in outer corner of cell c only, a narrow fuscous costal band confluent with R2+3 and remaining very narrow around apex of wing (occasionally there can be a very slight swelling around apex of R4+5), a narrow pale fuscous anal streak
  • supernumerary lobe of medium development
  • abdominal terga III-V exhibits a range of colour patterns (see Drew and Hancock 1994) but possesses the basic pattern of a black ‘T’ consisting of a narrow transverse black band across anterior margin of tergum III, a narrow medial longitudinal black band over all three terga, narrow anterolateral fuscous to dark fuscous corners on terga IV and V
  • a pair of oval orange-brown to pale fuscous shining spots on tergum V
  • abdominal sterna dark coloured
  • posterior lobe of male surstylus short
  • female with aculeus tip needle shaped (Schutze et al. 2015).

Morphological – larvae

See White and Elson-Harris 1992 p. 190.

Molecular

DNA barcoding

BOLD reference data available.

Diagnostic to the level of the B. dorsalis species complex, but difficult to resolve amongst several other species within the complex.

COI data
B. dorsalis DRS009 Classic morphology Folmers COI
B. dorsalis DRS014 Abdomen variation Folmers COI
B. dorsalis DRS015 Abdomen variation Folmers COI
B. dorsalis DRS018 Abdomen variation Folmers COI
B. dorsalis DRS022 Scutum variation Folmers COI
B. dorsalis DRS023 Abdomen variation Folmers COI
B. dorsalis DRS024 Abdomen variation Folmers COI
B. dorsalis DRS026 Abdomen variation Folmers COI
B. dorsalis DRS027 Abdomen variation Folmers COI
B. dorsalis DRS029 Abdomen/Scutum variation Folmers COI
B. dorsalis DRS049 Abdomen variation Folmers COI
B. dorsalis DRS050 Classic morphology Folmers COI
B. dorsalis DRS051 Classic morphology Folmers COI
B. dorsalis DRS052 Classic morphology Folmers COI
B. dorsalis DRS053 Classic morphology Folmers COI
B. dorsalis DRS056 Classic morphology Folmers COI
B. dorsalis DRS057 Classic morphology Folmers COI
B. dorsalis DRS2 Classic morphology Folmers COI

EIF3L data
B. dorsalis DRS014 Abdomen variation EIF3L
B. dorsalis DRS017 Abdomen/Scutum variation EIF3L
B. dorsalis DRS024 Abdomen variation EIF3L
B. dorsalis DRS052 Classic specimen EIF3L
B. dorsalis DRS053 Classic specimen EIF3L
B. dorsalis DRS056 Classic specimen EIF3L
B. dorsalis DRS058 Classic specimen EIF3L
B. dorsalis DRS2 Classic specimen EIF3L

FCOI data
B. dorsalis DRS017 Abdomen/Scutum variation FCOI
B. dorsalis DRS018 Abdomen variation FCOI
B. dorsalis DRS058 Classic specimen FCOI

RPA2 data
B. dorsalis DRS009 Classic morphology RPA2
B. dorsalis DRS014 Abdomen variation RPA2
B. dorsalis DRS024 Abdomen variation RPA2
B. dorsalis DRS049 Abdomen variation RPA2
B. dorsalis DRS050 Classic morphology RPA2
B. dorsalis DRS051 Classic morphology RPA2
B. dorsalis DRS052 Classic morphology RPA2
B. dorsalis DRS053 Classic morphology RPA2
B. dorsalis DRS056 Classic morphology RPA2
B. dorsalis DRS057 Classic morphology RPA2
B. dorsalis DRS017 Abdomen/Scutum variation RPA2

DDOSTs2 data
B. dorsalis DRS009 Classic morphology DDOSTs2
B. dorsalis DRS014 Abdomen variation DDOSTs2
B. dorsalis DRS024 Abdomen variation DDOSTs2
B. dorsalis DRS050 Classic morphology DDOSTs2
B. dorsalis DRS051 Classic morphology DDOSTs2
B. dorsalis DRS052 Classic morphology DDOSTs2
B. dorsalis DRS053 Classic morphology DDOSTs2
B. dorsalis DRS056 Classic morphology DDOSTs2
B. dorsalis DRS057 Classic morphology DDOSTs2
B. dorsalis DRS017 Abdomen/Scutum variation DDOSTs2

POP4 data
B. dorsalis DRS050 Classic morphology POP4
B. dorsalis DRS051 Classic morphology POP4
B. dorsalis DRS053 Classic morphology POP4
B. dorsalis DRS056 Classic morphology POP4
B. dorsalis DRS057 Classic morphology POP4

 

PCR-RFLP Test 1

BsrI: 650, 260

HinfI: 770

HhaI: 656, 192

Sau3AI: Does not cut

SnaBI: 326, 540

SspI: Does not cut

Vspl: Does not cut

Approximate ITS1 fragment length – gel: 820 bp

PCR-RFLP Test 2

No distinctive restriction enzymes but a combination of several can be chosen to distinguish the complex from other Bactrocera and species in other genera.

Choice of enzyme will be based on relative distinctiveness from other species potentially trapped. See Restriction enzyme haplotype chart and Diagnostic restriction patterns.

Host Range

Bactrocera dorsalis has been recorded on over 300 hosts from a wide range of families. These include:

  • Alangiaceae
  • Anacardiaceae
  • Annonaceae
  • Apocynaceae
  • Arecaceae
  • Burseraceae
  • Capparaceae
  • Caprifoliaceae
  • Caricaceae
  • Celastraceae
  • Chrysobalanaceae
  • Clusiaceae
  • Combretaceae
  • Convolvulaceae
  • Curcurbitaceae
  • Ebenaceae
  • Elaeocarpaceae
  • Euphorbiaceae
  • Fabaceae
  • Flacourtiaceae
  • Lauraceae
  • Lecythidaceae
  • Malpighiaceae
  • Meliaceae
  • Moraceae
  • Musaceae
  • Myrtaceae
  • Olacaceae
  • Oleaceae
  • Oxalidaceae
  • Polygalaceae
  • Rhamnaceae
  • Rosaceae
  • Rubiaceae
  • Rutaceae
  • Sapindaceae
  • Sapotaceae
  • Simaroubaceae
  • Solanaceae

For a full list of recorded hosts see records for B. dorsalis, B. papayae, B. philippinensis and B. invadens, pre Schutze et al. 2015 synonymisation, particularly White and Elson Harris 1992, Allwood et al. 1999; Hancock et al. 2000, Goergen et al. 2011, Leblanc et al. 2012.

It is also known to oviposit in some fruit when it is at the green stage.

Major commercial hosts:

  • Anacardium occidentale (cashew nut)
  • Annona reticulata (bullock’s heart)
  • Annona squamosa (sugarapple)
  • Averrhoa carambola (carambola)
  • Capsicum annuum (bell pepper)
  • Carica papaya (papaw)
  • Chrysophyllum cainito (caimito)
  • Citrus reticulata (mandarin)
  • Coffea arabica (arabica coffee)
  • Dimocarpus longan (longan tree)
  • Diospyros kaki (persimmon)
  • Malpighia glabra (acerola)
  • Malus domestica (apple)
  • Mangifera foetida (bachang)
  • Mangifera indica (mango)
  • Manilkara zapota (sapodilla)
  • Mimusops elengi (spanish cherry)
  • Muntingia calabura (Jamaican cherry)
  • Musa (banana)
  • Prunus armeniaca (apricot)
  • Prunus avium (sweet cherry)
  • Prunus cerasus (sour cherry)
  • Prunus domestica (plum)
  • Prunus persica (peach)
  • Psidium guajava (guava)
  • Pyrus communis (European pear)
  • Syzygium aqueum (watery rose-apple)
  • Syzygium cumini (black plum)
  • Syzygium jambos (rose apple)
  • Syzygium malaccense (malay-apple)
  • Syzygium samarangense (water apple)

 

Distribution

Africa – widespread, predominantly in sub-Saharan African countries
Asia – widespread in southern Asia from Pakistan to Indonesia
Oceania – Christmas Island, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Hawaii, Tahiti

See CABI website for additional distribution details.

Similar species

Bactrocera dorsalis is similar to B. carambolae in possessing broad parallel sided lateral vittae enclosing the ia. setae, black scutum (in some specimens), a T shape on the abdomen and narrow anal streak. It differs from B. carambolae in having a narrow costal band confluent with R2+3 (in B. carambolae it overlaps R2+3 and expands at the apex), and triangular shaped anterolateral dark corners on abdominal terga IV and V (if present) (these markings are rectangular in B. carambolae).

Bactrocera dorsalis is similar to the Australian rainforest species B. endiandrae but differs in having broad parallel sided vittae enclosing the ia. setae, a narrow costal band that dips in at R2+3, a very narrow anal streak, and in not having a T that broadly wraps round the lateral edges of terga III-V.

It similar to the Australian B. musae but differs in having a very narrow anal streak, narrow costal band that dips in at R2+3, and having broad parallel sided lateral vittae enclosing the ia. setae, and in general have a more distinct T shape on the abdomen.

Following the publication on the dorsalis complex by Drew and Hancock 1994, there has been considerable research to investigate the integrity of many of the morphologically close species in the dorsalis complex. The review of Clarke et al. 2005 summarised the bulk of this research and has demonstrated that most taxa within the complex can be satisfactorily resolved and that the complex is undergoing rapid morphological change. Drew and Romig 2013 synonymised Bactrocera philippinensis with B. papayae; Schutze et al. 2015 synonymised B. papayae and B. invadens with B. dorsalis.

B. dorsalis is the namesake of a complex of approximately 100 species (the B. dorsalis complex), and while this species may be distinguished from some species as listed here, it is also highly similar to other species in the complex.

Pest Status

  • Exotic
  • Bactrocera dorsalis is the world’s worst horticultural pest as it infests over 300 fruits and can ‘sting’ some fruit in the hard green stage. It is highly invasive and has spread to over 65 countries globally.

Attractant/Lure

Methyl eugenol