Taxonomy
Valid name:
Bactrocera (
Bactrocera)
facialis (Coquillett, 1909)
Preferred common name: Tongan fruit fly
Synonyms:
Dacus facialis (original combination in Coquillett, 1909)
Chaetodacus facialis (subsequent combination in Bezzi, 1928)
Strumeta fascialis (misspelling in Perkins, 1939)
Dacus tongensis Froggatt, 1911 (junior synonym)
Morphology-based identification
Bactrocera facialis can be identified reliably based on morphology. Spot characters are the yellow face without black markings, the very small lateral yellow vittae on the scutum, and the abdomen pattern without a (
dorsalis-like) black 'T'.
Molecular identification
COI sequence data can be used to reliably identify
B. facialis (
Starkie et al. 2022aStarkie et al. 2022a:
Starkie ML, Cameron SL, Krosch MN, Phillips MJ, Royer JE, Schutze MK, Strutt F, Sweet AD, Zalucki MP, Clarke AR, 2022. A comprehensive phylogeny helps clarify the evolutionary history of host breadth and lure response in the Australian Dacini fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 172: 107481. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107481 ).
Distribution
Bactrocera facialis is only known from Tonga in the South Pacific, which is its presumed native range.
Further information
Bactrocera facialis is reported as a "category B" polyphagous fruit pest in Tonga in
Vargas et al. (2015)Vargas et al. (2015):
Vargas RI, Pinero JC, Leblanc L, 2015. An overview of pest species of Bactrocera fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) and the integration of biopesticides with other biological approaches for their management with a focus on the pacific region. Insects 6: 297–318. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects6020297. A category B pest is there defined as "polyphagous fruit pests or destructive specialists more restricted in distribution, but at elevated risk of spreading to new locations".
Bactrocera facialis has been reared from a wide range of hosts including citrus, mango, guava, avocado, and papaya, but it is only a major pest on bell peppers and chili peppers (
Leblanc et al. 2012Leblanc et al. 2012:
Leblanc L, Vueti ET, Allwood AJ, 2012. Host plant records for fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacini) in the pacific Islands. Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society 44: 11–53. http://hdl.handle.net/10125/25459).
