The Pumpkin fruit fly Dacus frontalis (Becker) (Diptera: Tephritidae): A review of its bio-ecology and control strategy

Ameni Ben Othmen; Mohamed Sadok Belkadhi; Mohamed Brahem

doi:10.56027/JOASD.122025

Authors

Ameni Ben Othmen (1) High Agronomic Institute of Chott-Mariem, University of Sousse, 4042 Chott-Mariem, Sousse, Tunisia (2) Drylands and oasis cropping laboratory, Arid Regions Institute, Tunisia
Mohamed Sadok Belkadhi Drylands and oasis cropping laboratory, Arid Regions Institute, Tunisia
Mohamed Brahem Research Center on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture, Chott-Mariem.Sousse, Tunisia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56027/JOASD.122025

Keywords:

Pumpkin fly, Hosts, North Africa, Damage, Control, Identification

Abstract

The pumpkin fly Dacus frontalis (Becker) is already ranked as one of the most economically damaging pest of cucurbits in North Africa, South Africa, and the Middle East. The exact identification of this fruit fly can be delicate because of the similarities at the species level. Thus, molecular biology can easily classify and control fruit fly pests. D.frontalis favorite hosts are Pumpkin, Watermelon, Sweet melon, Cucumber and Squash. Infested fruits usually present oviposition or exit holes and direct damage is caused by the larval stage which, decreases quality and quantity of fruits and provoke high losses in yield. The Control strategy of this pest varies from biological control to chemical pesticides in addition to the bait traps.

References

Abram, P. K., Brodeur, J., Urbaneja, A., & Tena, A. (2019). Non reproductive effects of insect parasitoids on their hosts. Annual Review of Entomology, 64, 259–276.

Allwood, A. J., Vueti, E. T., Leblanc, L., & Bull, R. (2002). Eradication of introduced Bactrocera species (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Nauru using male annihilation and protein bait application techniques. Turning the tide: the eradication of invasive species, 19–25.

Ba-Angood, S. A. S. (1977). Control of the melon fruit fly, Dacus frontalis Becker (Diptera: Trypetidae), on cucurbits. Journal of Horticultural Science, 52(4), 545–547.

Badii, K. B., Billah, M. K., Afreh-Nuamah, K., Obeng-Ofori, D., & Nyarko, G. (2015). Review of the pest status, economic impact and management of fruit-infesting flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Africa. Journal of Entomology and Nematology, 7(10), 1488–1498.

Barnes, B. N., & Venter, J. H. (2006). The South African fruit fly action plan: area-wide suppression and exotic species surveillance. In: Proceedings of the 7th International Symposium on Fruit Flies of Economic Importance, 271–283.

Boulahia-Kheder, S. (2020). Review on major fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in North Africa: Bio-ecological traits and future trends. Crop Protection, 105416.

Christenson, L. D., & Foote, R. H. (1960). Biology of fruit flies. Annual Review of Entomology, 5(1), 171–192.

Dhillon, M. K., Singh, R., Naresh, J. S., & Sharma, H. C. (2005). The melon fruit fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae: A review of its biology and management. Journal of Insect Science, 5(1), 40.

Doorenweerd, C., Leblanc, L., Norrbom, A. L., San Jose, M., & Rubinoff, D. (2018). A global checklist of the 932 fruit fly species in the tribe Dacini (Diptera, Tephritidae). Zookeys, (730), 19.

Dyck, V. A., Hendrichs, J., & Robinson, A. S. (2005). Sterile Insect Technique: Principles and practice in area-wide integrated pest management. Springer. 1216 p.

Ekesi, S., & Billah, M. K. (2007). A field guide to the management of economically important tephritid fruit flies in Africa (2nd ed.). ICIPE Science Press, Nairobi, Kenya. 104 p.

Ekesi, S., De Meyer, M., Mohamed, S. A., Virgilio, M., & Borgemeister, C. (2016). Taxonomy, ecology, and management of native and exotic fruit fly species in Africa. Annual Review of Entomology, 61, 219–238.

Elfékih, S., & Haymer, D. S. (2010). Molecular taxonomic identification of Dacus and Ceratitis species from Sub-Saharan Africa using mitochondrial haplotypes. Journal of Economic Entomology, 103(5), 1842–1847.

Elghadi, E., & Port, G. (2019). Use of entomopathogenic fungi for the biological control of the greater melon fly Dacus frontalis in Libya. pp. 251–265.

Elghadi, E. O. A. (2016). Entomopathogenic fungi as a biological control for the greater melon fly Dacus frontalis (Becker) (Diptera: Tephritidae) (Doctoral dissertation, Newcastle University), 163 p.

Elharym, Y., & Belqat, B. (2017). First checklist of the fruit flies of Morocco, including new records (Diptera, Tephritidae). Zookeys, (702), 137.

Fetoh, B. E. S. A. (2009). Molecular, morphological and histological differentiation between the lesser pumpkin fly, Dacus ciliatus (Loew) and the greater pumpkin fly, Dacus frontalis Becker. Egyptian Journal of Genetics and Cytology, 38(2).

Fletcher, B. S. (1987). The biology of Dacine fruit flies. Annual Review of Entomology, 32(1), 115–144.

Hafsi, A., Abbes, K., Harbi, A., Ben Othmen, S., Limem, E., Elimem, M., & Chermiti, B. (2015). The pumpkin fly Dacus frontalis (Diptera: Tephritidae): A new pest of cucurbits in Tunisia. EPPO Bulletin, 45(2), 209–213.

Hoddle, M. S. (2004). Restoring balance: Using exotic species to control invasive exotic species. Conservation Biology, 18(1), 38–49.

Howarth, F. G. (1991). Environmental impacts of classical biological control. Annual Review of Entomology, 36(1), 485–509.

IAEA. (2003). Trapping guidelines for area-wide fruit fly programmes. Vienna: International Atomic Energy Agency.

Kamali, S., Karimi, J., Hosseini, M., Campos-Herrera, R., & Duncan, L. W. (2013). Biocontrol potential of the entomopathogenic nematodes Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and Steinernema carpocapsae on cucurbit fly, Dacus ciliatus (Diptera: Tephritidae). Biocontrol Science and Technology, 23(11), 1307–1323.

Langford, E. A., Nielsen, U. N., Johnson, S. N., & Riegler, M. (2014). Susceptibility of Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) (Diptera: Tephritidae), to entomopathogenic nematodes. Biological Control, 69, 34–39.

Layodé, B. F. R., Onzo, A., & Karlsson, M. F. (2020). Watermelon-infesting Tephritidae fruit fly guild and parasitism by Psyttalia phaeostigma (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). International Journal of Tropical Insect Science, 40(1), 157–166.

Leblanc, L., San Jose, M., Barr, N., & Rubinoff, D. (2015). A phylogenetic assessment of the polyphyletic nature and intraspecific color polymorphism in the Bactrocera dorsalis complex (Diptera, Tephritidae). Zookeys, (540), 339.

Manoukis, N. C., Geib, S. M., & Vargas, R. I. (2014). Effect of host Bactrocera dorsalis sex on yield and quality of the parasitoid Fopius arisanus. BioControl, 59(4), 395–402.

Maronsy, G. H., & Al-Mufti, S. A. (2019). Molecular identification of cucurbit fly Dacus ciliatus (Diptera: Tephritidae) infesting Cucurbitaceae family based on mitochondrial gene in Kurdistan region-Iraq. Journal of Duhok University, 22(2), 229–238.

Moreno, D. S., & Mangan, R. L. (2007). Bait matrix for novel toxicants for use in control of fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae). IAEA.

Quilici, S., Hurtrel, B., Messing, R. H., Montagneux, B., Barbet, A., Gourdon, F., ... & Simon, A. (2002, May). Successful acclimatization of Psyttalia fletcheri (Braconidae: Opiinae) for biological control of the melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Diptera: Tephritidae), on Reunion Island. In Proc. 6th Int. Symp. Fruit Flies of Economic Importance, Stellenbosch, South Africa (pp. 6–10).

Rizvi, P. Q., Choudhury, R. A., & Ali, A. (2009). Recent advances in biopesticides. In Microbial Strategies for Crop Improvement (pp. 185–203). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.

Sapkota, R., Dahal, K. C., & Thapa, R. B. (2010). Damage assessment and management of cucurbit fruit flies in spring-summer squash. Journal of Entomology and Nematology, 2(1), 007–012.

Shawkit, M. A., Basam, A. N., Hussian, F., Edan, L. H., & Mahmood, A. R. (2011). Population density and biological studies of two cucurbit fly’s species: Dacus ciliatus Loew and Dacus frontalis Becker (Diptera: Tephritidae). Journal of Madenat Alelem University College, 3(2), 78–84.

Steffens, R. J. (1983). Ecology and approach to integrated control of Dacus frontalis on the Cape Verde Islands. In: Cavalloro, R. (Ed.), Fruit Flies of Economic Importance, pp. 632–638. Proceedings of the CEC/IOBC International Symposium, Athens, Greece, 16–19 November 1982.

Virgilio, M., Backeljau, T., Barr, N., & De Meyer, M. (2008). Molecular evaluation of nominal species in the Ceratitis fasciventris, C. anonae, C. rosa complex (Diptera: Tephritidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 48(1), 270–280.

Virgilio, M., White, I., & De Meyer, M. (2014). A set of multi-entry identification keys to African frugivorous flies (Diptera, Tephritidae). Zookeys, (428), 97–112.