Six years of fruit fly surveys in Bangladesh: a new species, 33 new country records and discovery of the highly invasive Bactrocera carambolae (Diptera, Tephritidae)

Abstract

We engaged in six years of snap-shot surveys for fruit flies in rural environments and ten protected forest areas of Bangladesh, using traps baited with male lures (cue-lure, methyl eugenol, zingerone). Our work has increased the recorded number of species of Tephritidae in the country from seven to 37. We summarize these surveys and report eight new country occurrence records, and a new species (Zeugodacus madhupuri Leblanc & Doorenweerd, sp. nov.) is described. The highlight among the new records is the discovery, and significant westward range extension, of Bactrocera carambolae Drew & Hancock, a major fruit pest detected in the Chattogram and Sylhet Divisions. We rectify the previously published erroneous record of Bactrocera bogorensis (Hardy), which was based on a misidentification of Zeugodacus diaphorus (Hendel). We also report the occurrence in Bangladesh of nine other Tephritidae, the rearing of three primary fruit fly parasitoids from Zeugodacus, and records of non-target attraction to fruit fly lures.

The Dacini fruit fly fauna of Sulawesi fits Lydekker’s line but also supports Wallacea as a biogeographic region (Diptera, Tephritidae)

“…Alternatively, it could have been introduced through fruit transport, as it is a pest species on commercial fruit. Its natural distribution includes Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia (Java and Kalimantan), and it was recently reported in Bangladesh ( Leblanc et al 2019 ). In addition, it is highly invasive in agricultural areas in the Guianas in South America, where it is the only representative of Dacini .…”

“…Finally, we sequenced EF1-alpha for the two specimens of B. carambolae Drew & Hancock, 1994, which is diagnostic at five positions, to confirm its identity (see also Leblanc et al 2019 ). All specimen collecting details and DNA sequences are available through BOLD dataset DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5883/DS-DACSU , and GenBank accessions: MT456325 – MT456363 [ COI ] and MT456286 – MT456324 [ EF1-alpha ]).…”

“…However, because B. carambolae is morphologically very similar to B. dorsalis and they have intermingled mitochondrial DNA (San Jose et al 2018b), we confirmed the identification with EF1-alpha DNA sequences. EF1-alpha is diagnostic for this species pair based on five positions (see also Leblanc et al 2019). Bactrocera carambolae was already known from Java and Borneo (Vargas et al 2015), so its presence in Sulawesi could be through natural dispersal, and it may have been missed during previous surveys.…”

“…Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia (Java and Kalimantan), and it was recently reported in Bangladesh (Leblanc et al 2019). In addition, it is highly invasive in agricultural areas in the Guianas in South America, where it is the only representative of Dacini.…”

“…We also sequenced COI and EF1-a for several specimens of Bactrocera melastomatos Drew &Hancock, 1994 andDacus longicornis (Wiedemann, 1830), to confirm if the different morphological forms were mirrored in mitochondrial and/or nuclear genetic variation. Finally, we sequenced EF1-alpha for the two specimens of B. carambolae Drew & Hancock, 1994, which is diagnostic at five positions, to confirm its identity (see also Leblanc et al 2019). All specimen collecting details and DNA sequences are available through BOLD dataset DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5883/DS-DACSU, and GenBank accessions: MT456325-MT456363 [COI] and MT456286-MT456324 [EF1-alpha]).…”