Bactrocera carambolae
Common name
carambola fruit flyDescription
Typical of Bactrocera larvae with the following specific characteristics for the third instar:
Body. Body length 7.5–9.5mm.
Head. Stomal organ: peg-sensilla-like structures absent. Stomal region: secondary lobes short, leaf-like (5 preoral lobes); margins of secondary lobes all entire, or one lobe with serrate margins (at most 1 lobe with small serrations). Number of oral ridges 8–10; margins scalloped (large, deeply serrated, blunt-edged teeth;long, narrow, fringelike). Accessory plates small; number of accessory plates 8–11; margins serrated (with strongly serrated edges). Median oral lobe absent or not protruding (?).
Spinules and creeping welts. Dorsal spinules on segments T1-T3.
Anterior spiracles. Anterior spiracle convex to flat. Anterior spiracular tubules 9–15.
Caudal segment (a8) and anal lobes. Anal lobes plainly visible, but not protuberant; simple.
Posterior spiracles. Slits 2.5–3x longer than wide (about). Length of slits 45-60 µm. Number of dorsal spiracular processes 10–15. Number of ventral spiracular processes 10–15. Number of lateral spiracular processes 4–7. Basal width of spiracular processes 3.0-4.8 µm. Average number of tips 25-42. Ratio of number of tips to number of trunks 2.0-2.3.
Host plants
Highly polyphagous, infesting at least the following families and genera:*
| Family | Genus |
| Anacardiaceae | Anacardium, Bouea, Mangifera, Spondias |
| Annonaceae | Annona, Uvaria |
| Apocynaceae | Thevetia |
| Arecaceae | Arenga |
| Burseraceae | Canarium |
| Calophyllaceae | Mammea |
| Capparaceae | Capparis |
| Caricaceae | Carica |
| Chrysobalanaceae | Chrysobalanus |
| Clusiaceae | Garcinia |
| Combretaceae | Terminalia |
| Cornaceae | Alangium |
| Ebenaceae | Diospyros |
| Euphorbiaceae | Drypetes, Shirakiopsis |
| Gentianaceae | Fagraea |
| Gnetaceae | Gnetum |
| Irvingiaceae | Irvingia |
| Lauraceae | Persea |
| Lythraceae | Punica |
| Malpighiaceae | Malpighia |
| Meliaceae | Lansium, Sandoricum |
| Moraceae | Artocarpus, Ficus, Pouroma |
| Myristicaceae | Knema |
| Myrtaceae | Eugenia, Psidium, Rhodomyrtus, Syzygium |
| Olacaceae | Ochanostachys |
| Opiliaceae | Melientha |
| Oxalidaceae | Averrhoa |
| Phyllanthaceae | Baccaurea |
| Polygalaceae | Xanthophyllum |
| Rhamnaceae | Ziziphus |
| Rhizophoraceae | Pellacalyx |
| Rubiaceae | Genipa |
| Rutaceae | Citrofortunella, Citrus, Fortunella, Paramignya, Triphasia |
| Sapindaceae | Lepisanthes |
| Sapotaceae | Chrysophyllum, Manilkara, Mimusops, Planchonella, Pouteria |
| Solanaceae | Capsicum, Solanum |
| Symplocaceae | Symplocos |
| Tropaeolaceae | Tetractomia |
*See Liquido et al. (2016)
Part of plant attacked: fruit.
Biogeographic region and distribution
Oriental, Neotropical (introduced)Thailand and India (Andaman Is.) southeast to Malaysia (Sabah) and Indonesia (east to Sumbawa); introduced Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana, Brazil (Amapa)
Adult taxonomy
Bactrocera (Bactrocera) carambolae Drew & HancockBactrocera carambolae Drew & Hancock 1994: 11.—Malaysia. Perak: Kuala Kangsar.HT ♀ BMNH.
References
Carroll, L. E., A. L. Norrbom, M. J. Dallwitz, and F. C. Thompson. 2004 onwards. Pest fruit flies of the world – larvae. Version: 8th December 2006. http://delta-intkey.com.
Liquido, N. J., G. T. McQuate, K. A. Nakamichi, R. S. Kurashima, A. L. Birnbaum, and M. A. Hanlin. 2016. Provisional list of suitable host plants of carambola fruit fly, Bactrocera (Bactrocera) carambolae Drew & Hancock (Diptera: Tephritidae), Version 1.1. Available online at: USDA Compendium of Fruit Fly Host Information (CoFFHI), Edition 3.0, https://coffhi.cphst.org/.
