Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 3 Western Australia, Series 3
Volume 4
Number 6 November-December, 1955 Article 5
11-1955
Insect pests and their control - New host records for Insect pests and their control - New host records for Mediterranean fruit fly in Western Australia
Mediterranean fruit fly in Western Australia
C. F. H. Jenkins
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Recommended Citation Recommended Citation
Jenkins, C. F. H. (1955) "Insect pests and their control - New host records for Mediterranean fruit fly in Western Australia," Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 3: Vol. 4: No. 6, Article 5.
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•I
NEW HOST RECORDS FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN FRUIT FLY IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA
T
HE list of fruits and vegetables from which the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata Wied.) has been reared in different parts of the world is well in excess of a hundred. The susceptibility of various host plants, however, varies considerably.Some fruits such as peaches and apricots are very attractive to flies, while others such as plums and grapes are frequently left unmolested.
The factors which stimulate fruit fly a t t a c k are not fully known, but it is clear t h a t certain fruits are consistently a t t r a c - tive to fruit fly a n d t h a t others may be attractive only under certain conditions.
It is interesting to note t h a t three new host plants for Western Australia were recorded during t h e a u t u m n of 1955.
The fruits in question were:—
Tomatoes (Lycopersicum esculentum)*
Olives (Olea europea)-f Walnuts (Jugalans regia)%
The Mediterranean fruit fly h a s been established in Western Australia since 1895 and the most consistent infestations are to be found in the metropolitan area.
Tomatoes are extensively cultivated, both commercially a n d otherwise in this region a n d olive trees are also quite widely grown.
It seems reasonable to suppose, therefore, t h a t some unusual conditions must have been responsible for these new host records after 60 years.
* Larvae obtained 17/5/55.
27/5/55 and 31/5/55.
t Larvae obtained 22/4/55.
23/5/55 and 3/6/55.
t Larvae obtained 22/4/55.
23/5/55 and 26/5/55.
Piles emerged between Piles emerged between Plies emerged between
Several ripe olive berries in one suburban property were found infested and ten adult flies were reared in t h e Entomological Laboratory. In t h e case of t h e single walnut found affected, t h e maggots did n o t enter the kernel but were associated with the outer fleshy husk which in this i n - stance was sufficiently succulent to allow two fruit fly maggots and four tomato fly
Fig. 1.—Female Mediterranean fruit fly (greatly enlarged).
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maggots (Lonchaea sp.) to develop to m a t u r i t y . The tomato has been recorded as a host of the Mediterranean fruit fly in various p a r t s of t h e world, but nowhere does it seem to be a highly susceptible fruit. Referring to Hawaii, Bach & Pem- berton (1918) say: "The ordinary culti- vated t o m a t o (L. esculentum) is not gen- erally infested by C. capitata." Boden- heimer (1915) writes: "With regard to vegetables, t h e r e is one report of tomatoes
(L. esculentum) having been attacked 15 years ago in Palestine."
Fig. 2.—Male Mediterranean fruit fly (greatly enlarged).
Note tiny club-like appendages on head.
The possibility of tomatoes being i n - fested w i t h fruit fly in this State h a s never been overlooked (Newman 1924).
Numerous previous reports have been in- vestigated, but in all such cases the m a g - gots of t h e t o m a t o fly (Lonchaea sp.) were implicated. One inaccurate reference to t o m a t o infestation in Western Australia h a s appeared in literature (Smith 1939) but this was later corrected (Smith 1940).
The present infestation was located in a single ripe tomato purchased from a metropolitan grocer's shop, and two fruit flies and four tomato flies were reared in t h e laboratory. A careful inspection was made a t the Wanneroo market garden where t h e fruit was grown but no further sign of fruit fly infestation could be found.
No definite reason can be offered for the unusual fruit fly infestations during 1955.
Six hundred a n d fifty-five points of rain, an all time record (average 39 points) fell in February, 1955, and t h e conditions fol- lowing these unusual downpours were very conducive to fly activity.
The record of most significance is, of course, the tomato, and a very careful watch will be kept on tomato crops next season to see if any further sign of fruit fly a t t a c k can be detected. From previous experience, however, not only in this State but in other p a r t s of t h e world, it seems reasonable to anticipate t h a t the recent infestation will prove to be an unusual and isolated occurrence a n d not an indica- tion t h a t tomatoes will assume an import- a n t role as fruit fly hosts in this State.
LITERATURE
Bach, E. A., Pemberton, C. E. (1918)—"The Mediterranean Fruit Fly in Hawaii,"
U.S.D.A., Bull. No. 536, p. 38.
Bodenheimer, F. S. (1951)—"Citrus En- tomology," Hoitsema Bros.—Gronin- gen (Holland) 1951, p. 116.
Newman, L. J. (1924)—"Fruit Fly," Dept.
Agric, West Aust., Bull. 122, p. 20.
Smith, J. H. (1939)—Insects and their in- fluence on Agricultural Development, Aust. Inst. Agr. Sci., Vol. 5, No. 3, p. 152.
Smith, J. H. (1940) ibid. Corrigendum. Vol.
6 No. 1, p. 58.
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