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Dacus ciliatus
5 mm in length; Apologies for the images of a dead insect, but it is currently a pest in our new permaculture garden so we are trying to get an exact ID...seen with its ovipositor(?) stuck in a melon...a melon fly? Bactrocera cucurbitae? or a different fruit fly?
spotted in a cultivated permaculture garden in a desert
Thanks so much for your input, Michael! Unfortunately, we don't have access to store-made traps or the lures with pheromones. I tried to cover the fruit with bags, but I need to sort out a better system for that. We've given up on the melons and will try again next season. :-)
Best I've found https://youtu.be/3ugUw6Vl4EI
stages for trapping and wrapping fruit.
You can make a trap here to reduce male flies to reduce fertilisation and laying in fruits. http://ipm.ait.asia/?page_id=76
Greetings!!! Been doing some reading on them and there are two common mechanical methods of control. One is to use a protective covering to wrap the fruit while it develops. The other is to use baited traps. The latter is less cost effective. Here is a copy of how they control on the island of Mauritius off our coast. http://agriculture.govmu.org/English/Doc...
Always remove stung of attacked fruit in sealed bags to stop new generation hatching. I hope this helps or at least points you in a direction.
Thanks so much for the ID, Michael! Do you have any practical suggestions for controlling these pests?
Greetings!! We had a few of these in our gardens here in South Africa. They attack various Cucurbits like pumpkins, watermelons, gourds and gem squash. The Pierce young fruits to lay eggs. hope this helps!!
Spotted on Oct 4, 2016
Submitted on Oct 6, 2016
