Bactrocera murrayi

Taxonomy

Valid name: Bactrocera (Bactrocera) murrayi (Perkins, 1939)
Preferred common name: Murray's fruit fly
Synonyms:
   Daculus murrayi (original combination in Perkins, 1939)
   Dacus murrayi (subsequent combination in Hardy, 1951)

Morphology-based identification

Bactrocera murrayi can be identified reliably based on morphology. Spot characters are an overall light orange color and a wide mesopleural stripe that reaches the level of the intra-alar (ia.) seta.

Molecular identification

COI sequence data can be used to reliably identify Bactrocera murrayi, partial reference sequences are available from Starkie et al. (2022a)Starkie 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 murrayi has been recorded from the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, and Queensland in Australia. Its native range is unclear.

Further information

Bactrocera murrayi is classified as a "category D" pest of mango (Mangifera spp.) and Surinam cherry (Eugenia uniflora) in Australia and New Guinea 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 D pest is there defined as "species that have been occasionally bred from commercial/edible fruit or cucurbits". Surinam cherry is native to Central and South America.