Dacus vertebratus

Common name  

jointed pumpkin fly, melon fly

Description

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

Body. Large; body length 11-12.5 mm. 

Head.  Stomal region: Number of oral ridges 13-16. 

Anterior spiracles. Number of anterior spiracular tubules 17-19.

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

Posterior spiracles. Slits ~4x longer than wide. Number of dorsal spiracular processes 15-18; number of ventral processes 15-18; number of lateral processes 4-9.

Host plants

Family	Genus
Cucurbitaceae	Citrullus, Cucumeropsis, Cucumis, Cucurbita, Momordica

Part of plant attacked: fruit.

Biogeographic region and distribution

Afrotropical

Senegal east to Nigeria, Eritrea and Angola south to South Africa, Yemen, Madagascar.

Adult taxonomy

Dacus (Didacus) vertebratus Bezzi
Dacus vertebratus Bezzi 1908: 147.—Eritrea. Cheren. ST ♂♀ MZLS. Possibly also ST in MCSNM.
Dacus vertebratus var. marginalis Bezzi 1915: 100.—South Africa. Natal: Estcourt; and Zambia. Mayabuku. ST ♂ BMNH.
Dacus triseriatus Curran 1927: 87.—Zaire. Haut-Zaire: Garamba (4°10’N 29°40’E). ST ♂♀ AMNH.
Dacus mimeticus Collart 1935: 43.—Zaire. Kisantu. HT ♂ MRAC.
 

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.

White, I. M., and M. M. Elson-Harris. 1992. Fruit flies of economic significance: their identification and bionomics. CAB International; Wallingford, UK. 601 p.