Zeugodacus

Description

Body. Medium to large-sized; body length 7.5-12 mm; slender, elongate, tapering anteriorly. Integument either unsclerotized and entirely whitish to yellowish, or partially sclerotized; sclerotization forming a transverse line beneath posterior spiracles (mature larvae). Sclerotized processes on caudal segment absent. Caudal ridge absent. Mature larvae able to jump.

Head. Head of normal shape; cephalic lobes usually well-developed, sometimes only moderately developed. Antenna 2-segmented.

Stomal organ: primary lobe small, round; with 2 or 3 unbranched peg sensilla.

Stomal region: secondary lobes present (6-9 preoral lobes), medial ones elongate, resembling oral ridges; more than one secondary lobe with serrate margins; sclerotized stomal guards usually absent. Oral ridges present; number of oral ridges 14-23, margins serrate or scalloped (bluntly rounded teeth). Accessory plates present, numerous, margins serrated. Elongate, finger-like lobes arising above mandibles absent. Median oral lobe absent or not protruding. Labium broad.

Cephalopharyngeal skeleton. Mandibles: subapical teeth present or absent, usually with a single ventral tooth; base elongate, forming a more oblique angle; mandible with neck; mouthhook ventrally grooved or tusk-shaped. Parastomal bars elongate, free from hypopharyngeal sclerite. Dental sclerites present, posterior to mandibles.

Anterior spiracles.Anterior spiracles convex to flat. Variable amount of anterior spiracular tubules, ranging 13-20; either in a single uniform row or a single irregular row.

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

Caudal segment (A8) and anal lobes. Sensilla on caudal segment 10 pair, with at least 7 pair visible under dissecting microscope. Anal lobes simple, plainly visible but not protuberant.

Posterior spiracles. Posterior spiracular area not distinctly set off from caudal segment. Posterior spiracles: slits usually 3x longer than wide. Dorsal spiracular processes with numerous trunks arising from an elongate base. Processes long; number of spiracular processes variable; dorsal spiracular processes range 6-18; ventral processes range 6-18; lateral processes range 4-16. Area between posterior spiracles smooth.

Host plants

Many families (though some species currently known only from Cucurbitaceae).

Part of plant attacked: Fruit and flowers.

Biogeographic region and distribution

Afrotropical

Australasian-Oceanian

Oriental

Nearctic

Palearctic

Adult taxonomy

Zeugodacus Hendel, 1927

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.

Doorenweerd, C., L. Leblanc, A. L. Norrbom, M. San Jose, and D. Rubinoff. 2018. A global checklist of the 932 fruit fly species in the tribe Dacini (Diptera, Tephritidae). ZooKeys 730: 17–54

White, I. M. and M. M. Elson-Harris. 1992. Fruit Flies of Economic Significance: Their Identification and Bionomics. International Institute of Entomology, London. xii + 601 p.