Ceratitis rosa
Common name
Natal flyDescription
Typical of Ceratitis larvae with the following specific characteristics for the third instar:
Body. Larvae medium-sized. Body length 7.7–9.6mm (newly molted 3rd instars estimated at ca. 3.5–4.0 mm); subcylindrical, tapering gradually to cephalic segment.. Integument creamy-white.
Head. Cephalic lobes moderately developed.Antenna 2-segmented, both segments with sclerotized walls, the distal segment apically thin-walled and conical. Maxillary palp with sensilla visible by SEM as 3 papilla sensilla and 2 knob sensilla, the remainder as pits; dorsolateral group of sensilla with 2 papilla sensilla and a pit sensillum, adjacent to but distinct from palp.
Stomal organ: Number of peg sensilla 3-4 (small, peg-like); peg sensilla unbranched; other peg-sensilla-like structures absent. Stomal region: Number of secondary lobes 6: a broad, flat subtending lobe and a lobe medial to it; usually 2 additional lobes immediately surrounding the primary lobe anteriorly, and usually 2 lobes anteromedial to these, all with edges entire; none of these secondary lobes is strikingly similar to oral ridges. Number of oral ridges 8–12, but most often 9–11; well developed with margins scalloped to 1/4–1/5 of their depth (visible by SEM), located on a semicircular region laterad of mandible. Labium short, triangular, with narrow lateral lobes;
Cephalopharyngeal skeleton. Well-developed; length 0.99–1.34 mm. Mandibles: mandible black to dark brown, apical tooth pointed, small subapical tooth (visible in slide-mounted material) present or absent, mandible ventral surface smooth and concave between tip and subapical tooth. Tooth minute, visible only in slide mounts or by SEM; with a single ventral tooth; base elongate, forming a more oblique angle. Mandible tip to notch 0.55–0.75 mm, dorsal cornu length 0.35–0.50, ventral cornu length 0.67–0.95 mm; mandible length a 0.21–0.26 mm, mandible length b 0.22–0.27 mm, mandible length c 0.14–0.19 mm, mandible height 0.15–0.18 mm. Parastomal bars elongate, free from hypopharyngeal sclerite. hypopharyngeal sclerite black in anterior half, bridge and posterior processes brown; hypopharyngeal sclerite length 0.16–0.22 mm, dorsal arch height 0.21–0.33 mm. Tentoropharyngeal sclerite with dorsal and ventral cornua broadly joined, with strongly pigmented anterior and unpigmented posterior margins, becoming less pigmented dorsally and ventrally; dorsal cornu split posteriorly; ventral cornu with a slight hump midway along dorsal margin, pigmented along dorsal margin and ventrally to slightly more than half its length, with an incomplete window; parastomal sclerite long, stout, brown, straight apically; other sclerites as follows: dental sclerite dark brown, narrow in profile, free from and distinctly posterior to base of mandible; labial sclerites dark brown, slightly shorter than length of hypopharyngeal sclerite bridge, broadly connected to one another to form a pale W-shaped or quadrate sclerite; anterior sclerite... present in mature larvae; pharyngeal filter present, with 7 lamellate ridges extending the length of the pharynx. Dental sclerites present, posterior to mandibles.
Spinules and creeping welts. Dorsal spinules on segments T1-A1 (/5: these 2 specimens in the sample also had a stronger subapical tooth, and differently shaped anterior spiracles, and larger posterior spiracles, and are now considered as possibly representing a different species).
Caudal segment (a8) and anal lobes. Sensilla on caudal segment 10 pair, with at least 7 pair visible under dissecting microscope. dorsal area with Dl and D2 on separate papillae very close to one another; lateral area with I3 and L on separate papillae; intermediate area with intermediate tubercle well developed, bearing the following sensilla: I1a and I1b (on the same papilla or very close together, near medial end of caudal ridge), and I2 (below caudal ridge); ventral area with 3 V sensilla (one as a papilla sensillum and two as pit sensilla). Anal lobes well-developed, protruding, entire, usually grooved, posterior lobe often larger than anterior lobe), surrounded by 2-4 broken rows of spinules.
Anterior spiracles. Anterior spiracle convex to flat; pale golden brown, projecting. Anterior spiracular tubules 8-15, but most often 10-13; closely spaced in a single straight-to-curved or sinuous row; distal width 0.145—0.166 mm (n = 4) (0.16–0.24 mm, n = 18), base cylindrical, about half as wide as distal width; tubules about as long as wide, rounded apically, each with a slitlike opening; unpigmented ecdysial scar posterior to tubules.
Posterior spiracles. Average length of dorsal and ventral rimae 60–90µm; slits 2.76–3.4x longer than wide (one specimen is 3.8 for one slit; gestalt impression is 2.5 for most). Dorsal spiracular processes with numerous trunks arising from a short or semicircular base (medium processes); processes range from mostly unbranched to mostly branched. Number of dorsal spiracular processes 8–9. Number of ventral spiracular processes 9–10. Number of lateral spiracular processes 3–7. Basal width of spiracular processes 10–15µm. Dorsal and ventral spiracular processes: average number of tips 11–12 (range 10–14, n=2). Dorsal and ventral spiracular processes: ratio of number of tips to number of trunks 1.1–1.5.
Condensed diagnosis from Steck and Ekesi (2015):
Medium-sized muscidiform larvae with (mandibular tooth ventrally grooved), (usually) with minute subapical mandibular tooth: usually with 9-11 (rarely 8 or 12) oral ridges; accessory plates (present or)absent; leaf-like secondary stomal lobes present, sclerotized stomal guards absent; dorsal spinules present on segments T1-A1 (T1-T2 only; not T3, A1); anterior spiracles usually with 9-10 (rarely 7- 8 or 11-12)(usually 10-13, rarely 8 or 15) tubules in a single straight (to slightly curved or sinuous) row; base of anterior spiracle cylindrical, (ca.) half as wide as apical width; posterior spiracles with rimae 2.75-3.8 times as wide as long; spiracular processes mostly unbranched (to mostly branched, bases narrow to wide); caudal ridge present; anal lobes entire (or grooved, posterior lobe often larger than anterior lobe).
Host plants
| Family | Genus |
| Achariaceae | Rawsonia |
| Anacardiaceae | Anacardium, Harpephyllum, Mangifera |
| Annonaceae | Annona, Cananga, Lettowianthus, Monanthotaxis, Monodora, Sphaerocoryne, Uvaria |
| Apocynaceae | Carissa |
| Boraginaceae | Ehretia |
| Cactaceae | Cereus, Hylocereus, Opuntia |
| Caricaceae | Carica |
| Cecropiaceae | Myrianthus |
| Celastraceae | Salacia |
| Clusiaceae | Calophyllum |
| Combretaceae | Terminalia |
| Cucurbitaceae | Cucurbita |
| Ebenaceae | Diospyros |
| Fabaceae | Angylocalyx, Inga, Pithecellobium |
| Lauraceae | Persea |
| Loganiaceae | Strychnos |
| Malvaceae | Cola, Theobroma |
| Meliaceae | Ekebergia |
| Moraceae | Ficus |
| Musaceae | Musa |
| Myrtaceae | Acca, Eugenia, Feijoa, Psidium, Syzygium |
| Oxalidaceae | Averrhoa |
| Phyllanthaceae | Phyllanthus |
| Polygonaceae | Coccoloba |
| Putranjivaceae | Drypetes |
| Rhamnaceae | Ziziphus |
| Rosaceae | Cydonia, Eriobotrya, Malus, Prunus, Pyrus |
| Rubiaceae | Coffea, Tricalysia |
| Rutaceae | Citrus, Murraya, Toddalia |
| Salicaceae | Dovyalis, Flacourtia, Ludia |
| Sapindaceae | Allophylus, Dimocarpus, Litchi |
| Sapotaceae | Chrysophyllum, Manilkara, Mimusops, Pouteria, Richardella, Synsepalum |
| Solanaceae | Solanum |
Part of plant attacked: fruit.
Biogeographic region and distribution
AfrotropicalZaire and Uganda to South Africa, Reunion, Mauritius.
Adult taxonomy
Ceratitis (Pterandrus) rosa KarschCeratitis rosa Karsch 1887: 22.—Mozambique. Delagoa Bay. HT ♂ ZMHU.
Pterandrus rosa var. fasciventris Bezzi 1920: 228.—Uganda. Entebbe. ST ♂♀ BMNH.
Pterandrus flavotibialis Hering 1935: 158.—Zaire. Kivu: Rutshura [Rutshuru]. ST ♂♀ BMNH. ZSZMH ST destroyed.
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.
De Meyer, Marc, Robert S. Copeland, Slawomir A. Lux, Mervyn Mansell, Serge Quilici, Robert Wharton, Ian M. White, and Nikolaus J. Zenz. 2002. Annotated check list of host plants for Afrotropical fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) of the genus Ceratitis. Documentation Zoologiques Vol. 27. MRAC; Tervuren, Belgium. 91 p.
Steck, G. J., and S. Ekesi. 2015. Description of third instar larvae of Ceratitis fasciventris, C. anonae, C. rosa(FAR complex) and C. capitata(Diptera, Tephritidae). ZooKeys, (540), 443.
