Bactrocera latifrons

Common name  

Solanum fruit fly

Description

Typical of Bactrocera larvae with the following specific characteristics for the third instar:

Body. Body length 7–8.5mm.

Head. Stomal organ: number of peg sensilla three, or four or more (4?); peg sensilla unbranched; other peg-sensilla-like structures absent. Stomal region: secondary lobes short, leaf-like (5–6, large); margins of secondary lobes more than one lobe with serrate margins (some with small serrations). Number of oral ridges 9–14; margins scalloped (moderately long, tapering, bluntly rounded teeth; fringelike). Accessory plates small; number of accessory plates 6–10 (6–10,~WEH;-11,~LEC); margins serrated. Median oral lobe absent or not protruding.

Spinules and creeping welts. Dorsal spinules on segments T1-T3.

Anterior spiracles. Anterior spiracular tubules 13–18.

Caudal segment (a8) and anal lobes. Anal lobes plainly visible, but not protuberant; simple.

Posterior spiracles. Slits 3x longer than wide (about). Length of slits 47-72 µm. Dorsal spiracular processes with numerous trunks arising from an elongate base (long processes). Number of dorsal spiracular processes 16–22. Number of ventral spiracular processes 16–22. Number of lateral spiracular processes 6–11. Basal width of spiracular processes 1.8-3.3 µm. Average number of tips 35-40. Ratio of number of tips to number of trunks 1.7-2.2.

Host plants

Highly polyphagous, infesting at least the following families and genera:*

Family	Genus
Combretaceae	Terminalia
Cucurbitaceae	Benincasa, Citrullus, Coccinia, Cucumis, Diplocyclos, Lagenaria, Momordica
Lamiaceae	Gmelina
Lythraceae	Lagerstroemia
Myrtaceae	Psidium
Oleaceae	Chionanthus, Linociera
Passifloraceae	Passiflora
Phyllanthaceae	Baccaurea
Rhamnaceae	Ziziphus
Rubiaceae	Coffea
Rutaceae	Citrus, Murraya
Solanaceae	Capsicum, Lycianthes, Physalis, Solanum

*See McQuate and Liquido (2016)

Part of plant attacked: fruit.

Biogeographic region and distribution

Australasian, Oriental

Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, s. China, Taiwan, Thailand, Laos, w. Malaysia, Singapore; introduced Hawaii.

Adult taxonomy

Bactrocera (Bactrocera) latifrons (Hendel)
Chaetodacus latifrons Hendel 1915: 425.—Taiwan. Tainan. LT ♂ BMNH. Lectotype designated by White and Liquido 1995: 251. Suspension of I.C.Z.N. rules required to validate usage.

 

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.

McQuate, G. T., and N. J. Liquido. 2016. Provisional list of suitable host plants of Bactrocera (Bactrocera) latifrons (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae), Version 1.0. Available online at: USDA Compendium of Fruit Fly Host Information (CoFFHI), Edition 3.0, https://coffhi.cphst.org/.