Bactrocera invadens(Diptera: Tephritidae), a New Invasive Fruit Fly Pest for the Afrotropical Region: Host Plant Range and Distribution in West and Central Africa

Abstract

In 2003, the invasive fruit fly Bactrocera invadens Drew, Tsuruta & White (Diptera: Tephritidae) (Drew et al. 2005), of possible Sri Lankan origin, has been detected in the East and about 1 yr later in West Africa. In regular surveys in Benin and Cameroon covering 4 yr, samples from 117 plant species across 43 families have been obtained. Incubation of field-collected fruits demonstrate that in West and Central Africa (WCA) B. invadens is highly polyphagous, infesting wild and cultivated fruits of at least 46 species from 23 plant families with guava (Psidium spp.), mango (Mangifera spp.), and citrus (spp.), and the wild hosts tropical almond (Terminalia catappa L.), African wild mango (Irvingia gabonensis (Aubry-Lecomte) Baill.), and sheanut (Vitellaria paradoxa C.F.Gaertn.) showing the highest infestation index. B. invadens occurs in 22 countries of WCA with new records for Angola, Central African Republic, the Congo, DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Sierra Leone. Overall, the pest has spread across a North-South distance of ≍5,000 km representing a contiguous area of >8.3 million km(2) within WCA. B. invadens has adapted to a wide range of ecological and climatic conditions extending from low land rainforest to dry savanna. Because of its highly destructive and invasive potential, B. invadens poses a serious threat to horticulture in Africa if left uncontrolled. Moreover, the presence of this quarantine pest causes considerable restrictions on international trade of affected crops.

Annual population dynamics of mango fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in West Africa: socio-economic aspects, host phenology and implications for management

“…Since 2003, this exotic fly species has quickly become a major pest of high economic significance by its infestation of many cultivated and wild fruits throughout the whole of West Africa. With more than 40 fruit species infested in Benin by B. invadens [46], the management of this exotic species still remains an important constraint for mango production. Apart from a very large host range for B. invadens compared with that of C. cosyra (a dozen hosts in Benin), the Asian fly species also has other important comparative advantages vs. the native species.…”

Seasonality and range of fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) host plants in orchards in Niayes and the Thiès Plateau (Senegal)

“…Before B. invadens arrived in Africa, most fruit infestations recorded in West Africa were linked to C. cosyra and C. capitata (Wiedemann) [5,6], but this situation changed completely after. The first studies on the hosts of B. invadens were carried out in East Africa [7,8] and in West [9] and Central [10] Africa.…”

Étude comparative du développement de <i>Bactrocera dorsalis</i> (Hendel) (Diptera : Tephritidae) sur <i>Irvingia gabonensis</i> et <i>Musa</i> sp.

“…La présente étude confirme la susceptibilité de la banane comme hôte de cette mouche en conditions de laboratoire avec un fort taux d'émergence de 92,5%. Le taux d'émergence plus élevé observé (98,82%) sur la pomme se justifie par le fait que la pomme est citée au nombre des fruits hôtes préférentiels de B. dorsalis alors que la banane n'est qu'un fruit secondaire Goergen et al, 2011).…”