Dacus solomonensis Malloch
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090116103616im_/http://www.spc.int/pacifly/IMAGES/Species_photos/Dsolomonensis_w.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090116103616im_/http://www.spc.int/pacifly/images/Species_photos/D_solomonensis_drawing_w.jpg) |
Dacus
solomonensis
(Photo: S. Wilson) |
Drawing of D.
solomonensis (Drawing: M. Romig) |
DISTRIBUTION:
Bougainville Province in Papua New
Guinea and all Solomon Islands Provinces
except, Rennell-Bellona and Temotu.
HOST PLANTS: Usually plants in the
family Cucurbitaceae. Hosts recorded in surveys in Solomon Islands are:
Plant
families |
Plant species |
Common
names |
Solomon
Is |
CUCURBITACEAE |
Cucumis
sativus |
Cucumber |
X |
CUCURBITACEAE |
Cucurbita
pepo |
Pumpkin |
X |
CUCURBITACEAE |
Luffa
aegyptiaca |
Luffa
or spongy gourd |
X |
CUCURBITACEAE |
Trichosanthes
cucumerina |
Snake
gourd |
X |
GUTTIFERAE |
Calophyllum
inophyllum |
Indian
laurel |
X |
Sources of published host data:
Drew, R.A.I. 1989. The Tropical Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae) of the Australasian and Oceanian regions. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum. 26: 1-521.
Drew, R.A.I. and M. Romig. 2001. The Fruit Fly Fauna (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae) of Bougainville, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Australian Journal of Entomology. 40. 113-150.
Leblanc, L. 2000. Fruit Flies in Solomon Islands. SPC Pest Advisory Leaflet No 30. 4pp.
Vagalo, M., Hollingsworth, R. and F. Tsatsia. 1997. Fruit Fly Fauna in Solomon Islands. pp. 81-86 in: Allwood, A.J. and R.A.I. Drew. Management of Fruit Flies in the Pacific. ACIAR Proceedings No 76. 267p.
BIOLOGY: Laboratory
colonies are kept in Solomon Islands for life history studies and future heat tolerance
research. Larvae are reared in whole fruits of snake gourds. At 25°C, eggs start hatching
after 46 hours and larval development takes about 12 days in pumpkin and snake gourd.
Pupal period lasts about 9 days and adult mating starts about 16 days after adult
emergence.
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE:
In Solomon Islands,
D. solomonensis and melon fly are
collectively responsible for over 90% damage on snake gourds and 60-87% damage on pumpkin.
MALE LURE:
Cue-lure.
QUARANTINE SURVEILLANCE:
Cue-lure
trapping and regular host fruit surveys of Cucurbitaceae.
OPTIONS FOR RESPONSE (If newly discovered in a
country): Increased trapping, increased host fruit
sampling, restriction of fruit movement, protein bait spraying, male annihilation.
CONTROL: Protein bait spraying,
destruction of fallen and overripe fruits, early harvest of mature green fruits.
REFERENCES:
Drew,
R.A.I. 1989. The tropical fruit flies (Diptera:
Tephritidae: Dacinae) of the Australasian and Oceanian regions. Memoirs of the Queensland
Museum. Volume 26. 521 pp. (Description and
illustration).
Tsatsia, F.,
Hollingsworth, R. 1997. Rearing techniques for Dacus
solomonensis and Bactrocera cucurbitae in Solomon Islands. pp. 157-160 in: Allwood, A.J., and Drew, R.A I., Management of fruit
flies in the Pacific. ACIAR Proceedings No 76. 267pp.
TOP