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<em>Bactrocera passiflorae</em>

Bactrocera passiflorae

Fijian fruit fly
Previous scientific names: Dacus passiflorae, Chaetodacus passiflorae, Strumeta passiflorae, Dacus (Strumeta) passiflorae

Diagnosis

Morphological – adult

Features include:

  • small species
  • facial spots absent
  • postpronotal lobes glossy black
  • notopleura yellow
  • scutum glossy black
  • mesopleural stripe reaching to or beyond anterior npl. seta
  • lateral and medial postsutural vittae absent
  • scutellum yellow
  • wing with a narrow fuscous costal band and narrow pale fuscous anal streak
  • cells bc and c colourless with microtrichia in outer corner of cell c only
  • abdominal terga I-IV glossy black and tergum V either glossy black with posterior margin dark fuscous or fuscous with a medial longitudinal black band
  • posterior lobe of male surstylus short
  • female with aculeus tip needle shaped (Drew 1989; pers. comm. Drew 2010).

Morphological – larvae

See White and Elson-Harris 1992 p. 223.

Molecular

DNA barcoding

Diagnostic BOLD reference data available.

DDOSTs2 data
B. passiflorae PAS001 Classic specimen DDOSTs2
B. passiflorae PAS002 Abdomen variation DDOSTs2

EIF3L data
B. passiflorae PAS001 Classic specimen EIF3L
B. passiflorae PAS002 Abdomen variation EIF3L
B. passiflorae PAS003 Abdomen variation EIF3L

FCOI data
B. passiflorae PAS001 Classic specimen FCOI
B. passiflorae PAS002 Abdomen variation FCOI
B. passiflorae PAS003 Abdomen variation FCOI

POP4 data
B. passiflorae PAS001 Classic specimen POP4
B. passiflorae PAS002 Abdomen variation POP4

RPA2 data
B. passiflorae PAS001 Classic specimen RPA2
B. passiflorae PAS002 Abdomen variation RPA2
B. passiflorae PAS003 Abdomen variation RPA2

PCR-RFLP Test 1

BsrI: 650, 270

HinfI: 770

HhaI: 650, 190

Sau3AI: Does not cut

SnaBI: Does not cut

SspI: 750

Vspl: Does not cut

Approximate ITS1 fragment length – gel: 830 bp

PCR-RFLP Test 2

Alu I, Dra I and Rsa I produce diagnostic restriction patterns for B. facialis and B. passiflorae which cannot be distinguished (See Restriction enzyme haplotype chart and Diagnostic restriction patterns).

Alu I: 770-760, 270, 170, 130, 120, 110
Dra I: 1200, 290, 110;
Rsa I: 500, 420, 410, 290

Host Range

Polyphagous. Recorded from 49 hosts in 28 families including Anacardiaceae, Caricaceae, Rutaceae, Passifloraceae, Lauraceae, Leguminosae, Malvaceae, Moraceae, Myrtaceae and Solanaceae. Commercial hosts include mango, papaw, avocado, passionfruit, Tahitian chestnut, breadfruit, jackfruit, guava, rose apple, Malay apple, cocoa, coffee, citrus, star apple and chilli (see Leblanc et al. 2012).

Major commercial hosts:

  • Anacardium occidentale (cashew nut)
  • Carica papaya (papaw)
  • Citrus aurantiifolia (lime)
  • Citrus reticulata (mandarin)
  • Mangifera indica (mango)
  • Passiflora edulis (passionfruit)
  • Passiflora quadrangularis (giant granadilla)
  • Persea americana (avocado)
  • Psidium guajava (guava)
  • Solanum melongena (eggplant)
  • Theobroma cacao (cocoa)

Distribution

Fiji Islands, Niue, Wallis and Futuna. There is also a separate form of B. passiflorae with paler abdomen. This is probably an undescribed new species which occurs in Fiji, Tuvalu, Tokelau and possibly the Niuas group in Tonga. Its host range and potential pest status have not yet been well studied (SPC 2006).

Similar species

Bactrocera passiflorae is similar to B. melanotus from the Cook Islands in being all black but differs in having pale legs and scutellum and black postpronotal lobes.

 

Pest Status

  • Exotic
  • Significant pest in the Pacific region it occurs in

Attractant/Lure

Cue lure