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The utility of a universal DNA 'barcode' fragment (658 base pairs of the Cytochrome C Oxidase I [COI] gene) has been established as a useful tool for species identification, and widely criticized as one for understanding the evolutionary history of a group. Large amounts of COI sequence data have been produced that hold promise for rapid species identification, for example, for biosecurity. The fruit fly tribe Dacini holds about a thousand species, of which 80 are pests of economic concern. We generated a COI reference library for 265 species of Dacini containing 5601 sequences that span most of the COI gene using circular consensus sequencing. We compared distance metrics versus monophyly assessments for species identification and although we found a 'soft' barcode gap around 2% pairwise distance, the exceptions to this rule dictate that a monophyly assessment is the only reliable method for species identification. We found that all fragments regularly used for Dacini fruit fly identification >450 base pairs long provide similar resolution. 11.3% of the species in our dataset were non‐monophyletic in a COI tree, which is mostly due to species complexes. We conclude with recommendations for the future generation and use of COI libraries. We revise the generic assignment of Dacus transversus stat. rev. Hardy 1982, and Dacus perpusillus stat. rev. Drew 1971 and we establish Dacus maculipterus White 1998 syn. nov. as a junior synonym of Dacus satanas Liang et al. 1993. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bactrocera melastomatos Drew & Hancock and Bactrocera umbrosa (Fabricius) are fruit flies of the subfamily Dacinae under the family Tephritidae [1]. B. melastomatos occurs in India (Andaman Island), Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia (Sumatra, Kalimantan, Java) [1] while B. umbrosa is distributed from southern Thailand and Malaysia to New Guinea and New Caledonia [2]. The adult male flies of B. melastomatos are attracted to Cue lure while the adult male flies of B. umbrosa are attracted to methyl eugenol [3]. Fruit flies of Bactrocera melastomatos infest Melastomataceae while those of B. umbrosa infest Moraceae. We compare the diversity of microbiota associated with the wild adult males of these two specialist fruit flies infesting different families of host plants. Targeted 16S rRNA gene (V3-V4 region) was sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Six bacterial phyla (Actinobacteria, Armatimonadetes, Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria/Melainabacteria group, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria) were detected at 97% similarity clustering and 0.001% abundance filtering. Four phyla (Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria) were present in all the specimens studied. Proteobacteria was the predominant phylum in both B. melastomatos and B. umbrosa. Enterobacteriaceae was the predominant family in UM B. melastomatos and B. umbrosa, and Orbaceae was the predominant family in Awana B. melastomatos. Klebsiella was the predominant genus in B. umbrosa, Citrobacter in UM B. melastomatos, and Orbus in Awana B. melastomatos. Double Wolbachia infections were present in UM B. melastomatos. In general, the bacterial diversity and richness varied within and between the samples of B. melastomatos and B. umbrosa.

The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Dacus haikouensis Wang and Cheng 2002 (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae) was sequenced and annotated. The mitochondrial genome is 15,291 bp (GenBank No. MZ087939), containing 73.0% AT, which is the classical structure for insect mitogenome. Additionally, the phylogenetic tree confirmed that Dacus haikouedsis clustered with Dacus longicornis and Dacus conopsoides. The current study would enrich the mitogenomes of the fruit flies.

Opiine braconids are parasitoids of the immature stages of frugivorous tephritids. The female wasp lays her eggs into the eggs or larvae of the fruit fly host, where the immature wasp develops before emerging as a next‐generation adult from the now dead host pupal case. In support of a new generation of Australian fruit fly parasitoid research, this paper comprehensively reviews what is known about the Australian fruit fly infesting opiines. Based on the most recent taxonomic revision 11 fruit fly infesting opiine species are documented to occur in Australia, but we consider as doubtful the record for Diachasmimorpha longicaudata and consider the record for Fopius illusorius to be tentative without further collections. We identify that the systematics and taxonomy of the Australian native fruit fly infesting opiines are in urgent need of further work. The history of fruit fly biological control in Australia is comprehensively reviewed, including the export of native Australian opiines for fruit fly control elsewhere in the world. Australia was actively involved in three major classical biological control programmes against fruit flies from the turn of the 1900s until the mid‐1960s. Despite the introduction of 11 opiine species, plus numerous other natural enemies, only Fopius arisanus established in eastern Australia, where in South‐east Queensland it can now cause between 30 and 40% mean parasitism. In addition to the exotic F. arisanus, the native species Diachasmimorpha kraussii and Diachasmimorpha tryoni also cause fruit fly parasitism in agriculturally important crops: both species have also been liberated widely outside of Australia for fruit fly control. Other Australian opiines have not been reared from flies infesting commercial crops and appear biologically restricted to the fruits and environs of Australian east‐coast rainforests. The biology literature for D. tryoni and D. kraussii is comprehensively reviewed, while for F. arisanus, already reviewed elsewhere, key literature only is covered. Forward looking, we consider the potential for inoculative or inundative releases of opiines in areas where they do not currently occur to be good, while conservation biological control may help to increase the impacts of parasitoids in areas where they are already established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Opiine braconids include natural enemies of tephritid fruit flies, and interest in their greater utilisation for fruit fly control is growing. However, there is a lack of basic data on the prevalence and impact of these wasps for most regions of Australia. We sampled fruit fly host fruits from urbanised and peri‐urban locations of south‐east Queensland and reared out parasitoids and their host flies to determine the regional parasitoid community and how parasitism varied across time and habitat type. A total of 4969 fruits were collected from which 21 277 tephritid puparia were obtained. Of 12 601 fruit flies that emerged, the Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni, was the dominant species. A total of 5736 parasitoids, representing four species, were recovered from both suburban and peri‐urban sites. For all samples combined, the average parasitism rate was 30%. The exotic, egg–larval–pupal parasitoid Fopius arisanus represented 81% of the parasitoids collected and was recovered from all of the 13 host fruit species sampled. The second most common species, the native larval–pupal parasitoid, Diachasmimorpha kraussii, represented 15% of recovered parasitoids and was collected from a smaller range of host fruit species. The remaining two parasitoids, Diachasmimorpha tryoni and Psyttalia fijiensis, were rare in samples. Parasitoid infestation was highly variable across samples, with higher rates of parasitism observed from October to May. A targeted field experiment to measure differences in parasitism by D. kraussii between urban and peri‐urban habitats detected no variation in the abundance of D. kraussii across habitats, a result consistent with the general survey. The data show that for south‐east Queensland, parasitoids are a significant fruit fly mortality factor in both peri‐urban and urban landscapes. Any manipulation of parasitoids for regional pest management should focus on conservation of F. arisanus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Bactrocera tuberculata (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae) was sequenced and annotated. The mitochondrial genome is 15,273 bp (GenBank No. MT196006), containing 72.2% A + T (A 38.4%, C 16.9%, G 10.9%, and T 33.8%), which is the classical structure for insect mitogenome. All PCGs were started with ATN (ATA/ATG/ATT/ATC) and terminated with TAA except ND3, which ends with TAG. Additionally, the phylogenetic tree confirmed that B. tuberculata was closely related to Bactrocera diaphora and Bactrocera oleae. The current study would enrich the information about mitogenomes of the fruit flies.

The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the Bactrocera rubigina (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae) was sequenced and annotated. The mitochondrial genome was 15,285 bp (GenBank No. MN714223), containing 73.1% of A + T with A 39.3%; C 16.9%; G10.1% and T 33.8%, respectively, which is the classical structure for insect mitogenome. All PCGs started with ATN and stopped with TAD. The phylogenetic tree in the current study confirms that B. rubigina clustered with other Bactrocera species, and this study would enrich the mitogenomes of the fruit flies.

The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Bactrocera proprediaphora (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae) was sequenced and annotated. The mitochondrial genome is 15,829 bp (GenBank No. MN688227) long, containing 73.9% A + T (A 39.5%, C 16.3%, G 9.8%, and T 34.3%), which is the classical structure for insect mitogenome. All PCGs were started with ATN, except ND1 which started with TTG, and 13 PCGs were stopped using TAR (TAA/TAG) as the stop codon. Additionally, the phylogenetic tree confirmed that B. proprediaphora was closely related to B. diaphorus. The current study will enrich the mitogenomes of the fruit flies.

The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Bactrocera caudata (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae) was sequenced and annotated. The mitochondrial genome is 15,311 bp (GenBank No. MT180970), containing 72.7% A + T (A 39.1%, C 17.0%, G 10.3%, and T 33.6%), which is the classical structure for insect mitogenome. All PCGs were started with ATN (ATA/ATG/ATT/ATC) and terminated with TAA except ND3, which ends with TAG. Additionally, the phylogenetic tree confirmed that Bactrocera caudata was closely related to Bactrocera dorsalis and Bactrocera correcta. The current study would enrich the mitogenomes of the fruit flies.

The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the Bactrocera cheni (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae) are sequenced and annotated. The mitochondrial genome is 15,945 bp (GenBank No. MN883026), with A + T% for the whole sequence = 73.0% (38.9% A, 16.4% C, 10.6% G, and 34.1% T), which is the classical structure for insect mitogenome. All PCGs started with ATN except ATP8; 9 PCGs use TAA as the stop codon, and others use TAG as the stop codon. The phylogenetic tree confirms that B. cheni and B. tsuneonis are not clade into one branch with strongly supported. And Pairwise Identity is 80.0% between B. cheni and B. tsuneonis. Based this study, we supported that B. cheni and B. tsuneonis are two different species clearly.

Fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) is one of the important pest in horticultural plants which can cause quantitative and qualitative losses of production. One of the potential natural enemies to control the fruit flies is parasitoid. The aim of this research was to study the diversity of fruit flies and its parasitoids in Mekarsari Fruit Garden. The research was carried out in March to August 2017. Identification of fruit flies and parasitoids was conducted at Insect Biosystematics Laboratory, Institut Pertanian Bogor. Fruit flies were collected by setting Steiner traps and collecting infested fruits. In each sampling point, two traps were installed useing two different attractants, i.e. methyl eugenol (ME) and cue lure (CL). Steiner traps were set up for six weeks and the trapped fruit flies were taken every week. Collected fruits were 1 kg for each fruits species, within 1-6 timed depend on fruit existence. Based on ME attractants, 4 species of fruit flies were identified, i.e. Bactrocera (B.) carambolae, B. (B.) umbrosa, B. (B.) dorsalis, and B. (B.) occipitalis, while 6 species were attracted by CL, i.e. B. (B.) albistrigata, B. (Z.) calumniata, B. (Z.) caudata, B. (Z.) cucurbitae, B. (Z.) tau, and D. (C.) longicornis. Three parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) were found from rotting fruits, i.e. Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead), Fopius arisanus (Sonan), and F. vandenboschi Fullaway.

Zeugodacus caudatus (Fabricius) is a pest of cucurbit plants. The present study was conducted to draw the relationship among Indian Z. caudatus populations with the other defined genetic lineage of the species. A total of 18 individuals' mtCOI gene sequences from 3 populations of India were analysed along with 34 individuals' mtCOI gene sequences from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and China and generated 14 haplotypes. Phylogenetic study revealed the presence of distinct genetic lineage in Z. caudatus populations collected from India. The genetic distance between three distinct lineages of Z. caudatus was 0.057, 0.055 and 0.018 between Indonesia and Malaysia, India and Indonesia, and India and Malaysia, respectively and also evident from phylogenetic analysis. Further, the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene sequences developed in this study will help detection and geographical distribution of new haplotypes and lineages of the species in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), is a highly polyphagous fruit fly which, in the last 15 years, has invaded (with or without establishment) Africa, Europe and North America. As a direct result of these invasions, there is increasing research interest in the invasion history and spread patterns of this fly. A statement being repeatedly used in the B. dorsalis invasion literature is that the species was first identified from Taiwan in 1912 and that it subsequently spread through South‐East and South Asia during the 20th century. This assumption is incorrect and stems from: (a) an incomplete knowledge of B. dorsalis taxonomic history; and (b) a confounding of first taxonomic record with first invasion record. Rather than being first detected in Taiwan in 1912, the first record of oriental fruit fly was from "East India" (India orientali) under the synonymous name of Musca ferruginea by Fabricius in 1794, and in the 1910s, it was known not only from Taiwan, but widely across tropical Asia with records from India, Burma, Bengal, Sri Lanka (as Ceylon), Singapore and Indonesia (multiple islands). The taxonomic literature is very clear that oriental fruit fly has not invaded the rest of Asia from Taiwan since 1912, and this error should not continue to be repeated in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Close‐range courtship behaviours are a critical element of a species' biology but, if rapid, can often be overlooked. Beyond male chemical and audio calling, close‐range courtship interactions leading to copulation in the Queensland fruit fly Bactrocera tryoni are unknown; this may be due to a true absence or because they have been overlooked and not previously investigated. We sought to resolve the close‐range courtship sequence of B. tryoni and construct an ethogram of identified behaviours. Close‐range video recordings of B. tryoni courtship were taken during the dusk mating window and an ethogram constructed by combining all observed behaviours which led to successful copulation and unsuccessful copulation. While the previously well‐recognised male wing fanning behaviour was documented, a number of other behaviours were identified for the first time in B. tryoni courtship, including female ovipositor extension, and both male and female synchronous supination, face‐to‐face contact, and fore‐ and hind leg interactions. Analyses showed that the total duration of male synchronous supination, but not the number of occurrences, differed significantly between successful and unsuccessful males. Male foreleg interaction with the female abdomen was significantly different in both total duration and total number of occurrences between successful and unsuccessful males. The results reinforce data obtained from other Bactrocera species of simplified courtship sequences in these flies in comparison with other tephritid genera, but nevertheless courtship is more complex than previously recognised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Dacini fruit flies are tropical and subtropical insects for which a winter diapause is largely unknown. However, some pest dacines have extended their geographic ranges into temperate areas where winter temperatures may be limiting. During the 1900s, Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) extended its Australian endemic tropical range to include temperate southern Australia. Starting nearly 100 years ago, several research teams have spent considerable effort understanding how 'tropical' B. tryoni survives temperate winters: this review summarises that research. Across three study areas (Sydney and surrounding districts, New South Wales; Melbourne and surrounding districts, Victoria; Stanthorpe, south‐eastern Queensland), there is highly consistent data showing that the fly overwinters almost exclusively in the adult form. Eggs, larvae and pupae generated in late autumn or early winter either fail to develop due to lack of sufficient day‐degree accumulation or if immature development is successful and adults emerge, then those adults do not become sexually mature until the spring. Females which are already sexually mature when entering winter resorb some or all of their eggs. During winter, adults rest in sheltered locations and will forage for food on warm days. In field cages, mortality of adults is approximately 8% per week during winter, and so significant adult mortality occurs during winter. Based on laboratory studies, adult survival at cool to cold (15°C to −4°C) temperatures is increased if the fly or earlier developmental stages (pre‐pupal maggots and fully developed pupae) undergo an acclimation process, rather than being subjected to a sudden drop in temperature. Early climate change modelling suggests that a decrease in the number of extreme cold events (i.e. hard frosts) is more likely to lead to improved fly survival in temperate areas than the overall mean temperature increase. Gaps in knowledge include quantification of what makes a preferred overwintering site; how climate change over the last 30 years (when the last detailed experiments were done) have modified overwintering phenologies; and where on the Australian east coast does temperature become limiting such that year‐round breeding ceases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine how nutritional quality and resident gut bacteria interplay in improving the fitness of an oligophagous fruit fly, Bactrocera minax, artificial sucrose diets and full diets (sucrose, tryptone and yeast extract) were fed to flies with and without antibiotic supplementation. Furthermore, Klebsiella oxytoca and Citrobacter freundii were supplemented to sucrose-only diets. Flies were maintained in the laboratory and the fitness parameters, male and female longevity, number of copulations and female fecundity, were recorded. Full diet without bacterial depletion significantly increased fecundity and copulation. In the absence of gut bacteria, flies fed with full diets had significantly decreased mean fecundity and copulation rate. Flies that were fed with sucrose diet had a very low copulation rate and produced no eggs. Diet type and the presence of bacteria did not have any effect on the average longevity of male and female flies. Bacterial supplementation in sucrose diets did not improve any of the measured parameters. The results demonstrate that gut bacteria interact with diet to influence mating and reproduction in B. minax. Symbiotic bacteria significantly and positively impact reproduction in B. minax; however, their impact can only be fully realized when the flies are fed with a nutritionally complete diet.

The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the Bactrocera ruiliensis (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae) is sequenced and annotated. The mitochondrial genome is 15,870 bp (GenBank No. MN477221) and has an A + T content of 73.3% (A 39.2%; C 16.2%; G 10.3%, and T 34.4%), which is the classical structure for insect mitogenome. All PCGs started with ATN, except ATP8, which is started with TTG; 12 PCGs use TAR (TAA/TAG) as the stop codon, except COX1, which ends with single T––. The phylogenetic tree confirms that B. ruiliensis clustered with other Bactrocera species. This study enriches the mitogenomes of the fruit flies.

The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the fruit fly species Dacus trimacula (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae) are sequenced and annotated. The mitochondrial genome is 15,851 bp (GenBank No. MK940811) has an A + T content of 72.8% (A 39.2%; C 17.0%; G 10.2%, and T 33.6%), which is the classical structure for insect mitogenome. All PCGs started with ATN and stopped with TAN. The phylogenetic tree confirms that D. trimacula clustered with D. longicornis as the sister group to Zeugodacus. This study enriches the mitogenomes of the fruit flies.

The genus Bactrocera Macquart, currently comprising over 650 described species, is the most economically significant fruit fly genus with at least about 50 species considered to be pests of agricultural and quarantine importance. As a part of effort to investigate both agricultural and quarantine Bactrocera pests in Korea, the present study aims at reviewing the naturally occurring Bactrocera species in this country. Two Bactrocera species, pumpkin fruit fly ( B. depressa (Shiraki)) and striped fruit fly ( B. scutellata (Hendel)), are currently recognized in South Korea. Bactrocera depressa is an important agricultural pest infesting pulp of host fruits including pumpkins, and B. scutellata is known to infest flower buds of pumpkins as well as other cucurbit hosts. We recently found the third Bactrocera species, B. hyalina (Shiraki), for the first time in Korea. We here provide a taxonomic key to the Korean Bactrocera species, brief review of their biology, summary of their taxonomic status, diagnoses, descriptions, and detailed photographs of adults including postabdominal structures for their accurate identification. In addition, we here synonymize Zeugodacus bezzianus Hering with B. depressa . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Thai-Malay peninsula represents a well-known transition zone between distinct floral and faunal assemblages of the Sundaland and mainland Asian regions and regional biogeographical patterns are known to be complex. The region represents the mid-point of the native range of the tephritid fruit fly Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett), which has existed in the region for a substantial proportion of its evolutionary history. Here, we integrate data from multiple markers (morphological: wing shape, male aedeagus length; molecular: cox1, microsatellites) to investigate the relative impacts of historical biogeographical features on Z. cucurbitae across Thailand and the Thai-Malay peninsula. Overall, morphological datasets revealed subtle population structure across the Thai-Malay peninsula that approximates a latitudinal cline rather than abrupt disjunctions associated with biogeographical barriers. Molecular markers provided finer resolution of biogeographical patterns: microsatellites suggested significant structure associated with the Khorat Plateau (KhP), both molecular markers indicated populations are structured across the Kangar-Pattani Line (KPL), but there was no effect of the Isthmus of Kra. Together, this study suggests that mountainous biogeographical barriers (KhP), island isolation and transitions in climate and vegetation (KPL) have significantly influenced population structure in this species. These data contribute vital evidence toward understanding non-traditional biological transition zones along the Thai-Malay peninsula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frugivorous 'true' fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni (Queensland fruit fly), is presumed to have a nonresourced-based lek mating system. This is largely untested, and contrary data exists to suggest Bactrocera tryoni may have a resource-based mating system focused on fruiting host plants. We tested the mating system of Bactrocera tryoni, and its close sibling Bactrocera neohumeralis, in large field cages using laboratory reared flies. We used observational experiments that allowed us to determine if: (i) mating pairs were aggregated or nonaggregated; (ii) mating system was resource or nonresource based; (iii) flies utilized possible landmarks (tall trees over short) as mate-rendezvous sites; and (iv) males called females from male-dominated leks. We recorded nearly 250 Bactrocera tryoni mating pairs across all experiments, revealing that: (i) mating pairs were aggregated; (ii) mating nearly always occurred in tall trees over short; (iii) mating was nonresource based; and (iv) that males and females arrived at the mate-rendezvous site together with no evidence that males preceded females. Bactrocera neohumeralis copulations were much more infrequent (only 30 mating pairs in total), but for those pairs there was a similar preference for tall trees and no evidence of a resource-based mating system. Some aspects of Bactrocera tryoni mating behavior align with theoretical expectations of a lekking system, but others do not. Until evidence for unequivocal female choice can be provided (as predicted under a true lek), the mating system of Bactrocera tryoni is best described as a nonresource based, aggregation system for which we also have evidence that land-marking may be involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasion into new areas by already widespread pest organisms often occurs through non-obvious routes, with the origins of such invasions difficult to determine. Understanding population structure using multiple datatypes can help untangle past dispersal events and reveal putative contemporary invasion pathways. The tephritid fruit fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett), is a serious pest of cucurbits and other commercial crops and is considered native to the Indo-Oriental region, but is invasive in both Africa and the Pacific. Here, we combine molecular (microsatellites and COI) and morphological (male genetalia length and wing shape geometric morphometrics) data within an integrative taxonomic framework to test hypotheses concerning levels of Z. cucurbitae population variation observed in Southeast Asia (native range, 10 sites, ~200 individuals) versus the West Pacific (invasive range, 4 sites, ~80 individuals), and whether single or multiple introductions of Z. cucurbitae have occurred into the West Pacific. We also use this case to explicitly test if using an integrative approach provides more information about hypothesized invasion pathways than either genetic or morphological approaches would do alone. All datasets support Z. cucurbitae as being more variable in Southeast Asia than the West Pacific, and within these regions populations appear to be structured geographically. In particular, mainland and Sundaic Southeast Asian locations formed separate clusters, and New Guinea and Solomon Islands were not closely related to Guam and Hawaii. Evidence supports a separate single origin for New Guinea from the Melanesian arc, the Solomon Islands from Malaysia/Singapore, and Guam from mainland Asia, but multiple introductions into Hawaii from mainland Asia. Taken together, we argue that there is great value in integrating evidence from multiple sources as it can provide finer resolution of population relationships than any single data source alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been suggested that generalist herbivorous insects are an evolutionary 'improbability'. However, many species of tephritid fruit flies are generalists utilising larval hosts across two or more plant families. Focusing on the genus Bactrocera, it is argued that this high frequency of generalism is due to four evolutionary drivers which both decrease the need for specialism and promote generalism. Decreasing the need for specialism, there is firstly no co-evolutionary arms race between host plant and herbivore as Bactrocera do not negatively impact on plant fitness; this removes the need for specialism to counter plant defences. Secondly, the endemic hosts of most Bactrocera are plants with vertebrate-dispersed fleshy fruits. Fruit morphology and their display are highly constrained to attract those seed dispersers; Bactrocera thus do not need to specialize to increase host location capacity as many hosts produce a common signal. Thirdly, in native rainforest ecosystems Bactrocera are rare and so specialization to avoid competition seems unlikely. Promoting generalism are braconid parasitoids, which utilise plant cues to find their hosts. If a fly can use a novel host plant then it moves into enemy-free space, so promoting generalism. From this multi-part hypothesis, a group of testable predictions emerge. If shown to be correct then for the generalism/specialism debate frugivorous tephritids would provide an example where generalism may be a 'probable' evolutionary outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pictorial key for 13 species of fruit flies under 2 genera namely Bactrocera and Dacus of subfamily Dacinae (Diptera: Tephritidae) is presented in this paper based on actual photographs of fruit flies collected from north western Himalaya of India during 2009-2010. Among these, Bactrocera diversa (Coquillett), Bactrocera scutellaris (Bezzi), Bactrocera tau (Walker), Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett), Bactrocera zonata (Saunders), Bactrocera correcta (Bezzi), Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), Bactrocera latifrons (Hendel) and Dacus ciliatus Loew are the pests of agricultural and horticultural ecosystems. Bactrocera latifrons, Bactrocera nigrofemoralis White and Tsuruta, Dacus longicornis Wiedemann and Dacus sphaeroidalis (Bezzi) are the new records from the region of which host range has yet to be investigated. The pictorial keysdeveloped for these species will help the researchers for their easy and accurate identification.

Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) is Australia's major horticultural insect pest, yet monitoring females remains logistically difficult. We trialled the 'Ladd trap' as a potential female surveillance or monitoring tool. This trap design is used to trap and monitor fruit flies in countries other (e.g. USA) than Australia. The Ladd trap consists of a flat yellow panel (a traditional 'sticky trap'), with a three dimensional red sphere (= a fruit mimic) attached in the middle. We confirmed, in field-cage trials, that the combination of yellow panel and red sphere was more attractive to B. tryoni than the two components in isolation. In a second set of field-cage trials, we showed that it was the red-yellow contrast, rather than the three dimensional effect, which was responsible for the trap's effectiveness, with B. tryoni equally attracted to a Ladd trap as to a two-dimensional yellow panel with a circular red centre. The sex ratio of catches was approximately even in the field-cage trials. In field trials, we tested the traditional red-sphere Ladd trap against traps for which the sphere was painted blue, black or yellow. The colour of sphere did not significantly influence trap efficiency in these trials, despite the fact the yellow-panel/yellowsphere presented no colour contrast to the flies. In 6weeks of field trials, over 1500 flies were caught, almost exactly two-thirds of them being females. Overall, flies were more likely to be caught on the yellow panel than the sphere; but, for the commercial Ladd trap, proportionallymore females were caught on the red sphere versus the yellow panel than would be predicted based on relative surface area of each component, a result also seen the field-cage trial. We determined that no modification of the trap was more effective than the commercially available Ladd trap and so consider that product suitable for more extensive field testing as a B. tryoni research and monitoring tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The species diversity of tephritid fruit flies in major mango-growing regions in Uganda was monitored over a 2-year period (2010–2012) using fruit bait and lure traps. A total of 368,332 specimens belonging to 10 species in four genera (Bactrocera, Ceratitis, Trirhithrum and Dacus) were collected. Of these, 98.9% belonged to Bactrocera invadens, while the second and third most common species were Dacus bivittatus (0.4%) and Ceratitis anonae (0.3%), respectively. Significant differences in the evenness and diversity of fruit fly species were noted across the regions. Fruit fly community structure was significantly different across the three regions. The Lake Victoria Crescent and Mbale Farmlands harboured significantly more D. ciliatus, T. coffeae, D. bivittatus and B. cucurbitae in contrast to the Northern Moist Farmlands and the Western Medium High Farmlands. Ceratitis rosa contributed the highest difference in regional structure, followed by C. fasciventris and C. cosyra. Rank abundance curves depicted a geometric series distribution of the species composition in the three regions, confirming a scenario of competitive displacement of native fruit fly species by B. invadens. A comprehensive and sustainable response strategy to B. invadens and other fruit flies needs to be urgently devised to protect the horticulture industry in Uganda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bactrocera melastomatos Drew & Hancock and Bactrocera umbrosa (Fabricius) are fruit flies of the subfamily Dacinae under the family Tephritidae [1]. B. melastomatos occurs in India (Andaman Island), Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia (Sumatra, Kalimantan, Java) [1] while B. umbrosa is distributed from southern Thailand and Malaysia to New Guinea and New Caledonia [2]. The adult male flies of B. melastomatos are attracted to Cue lure while the adult male flies of B. umbrosa are attracted to methyl eugenol [3]. Fruit flies of Bactrocera melastomatos infest Melastomataceae while those of B. umbrosa infest Moraceae. We compare the diversity of microbiota associated with the wild adult males of these two specialist fruit flies infesting different families of host plants. Targeted 16S rRNA gene (V3-V4 region) was sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Six bacterial phyla ( Actinobacteria, Armatimonadetes, Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria / Melainabacteria group, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria ) were detected at 97% similarity clustering and 0.001% abundance filtering. Four phyla ( Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria ) were present in all the specimens studied. Proteobacteria was the predominant phylum in both B. melastomatos and B. umbrosa. Enterobacteriaceae was the predominant family in UM B. melastomatos and B. umbrosa , and Orbaceae was the predominant family in Awana B. melastomatos. Klebsiella was the predominant genus in B. umbrosa, Citrobacter in UM B. melastomatos , and Orbus in Awana B. melastomatos . Double Wolbachia infections were present in UM B. melastomatos . In general, the bacterial diversity and richness varied within and between the samples of B. melastomatos and B. umbrosa ., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests., (© 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

[Display omitted] • Paraphyly of many subgeneric groups, subgenera and species complexes. • Divergence time estimates were ∼ 30 my younger than previous Dacini estimates. • Male lure response displayed strong phylogenetic signal. • Phylogenetic signal for host diet breadth was not as strong. The tribe Dacini (Diptera: Tephritidae) contains over 930 recognised species and has been widely studied due to the economic importance of some taxa, such as the Oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis. Despite the attention this group has received, very few phylogenetic reconstructions have comprehensively sampled taxa from a single biogeographic region, thereby limiting our capacity to address more targeted evolutionary questions. To study the evolution of diet breadth and male lure response, two key traits fundamental to understanding dacine diversity and the biology of pest taxa, we analysed 273 individuals representing 144 described species from Australia (80% continental coverage), the Pacific, and select close relatives from South-east Asia to estimate a dated molecular phylogenetic reconstruction of the Dacini. We utilised seven loci with a combined total of 4,332 nucleotides, to estimate both Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood phylogenies of the tribe. Consistent with other molecular phylogenies of the tribe, there was a high level of disagreement between the placement of species in the phylogeny and their current subgeneric and species-complex level taxonomies. The Australian fauna exhibit high levels of endemism, with radiations of both exclusively Australian clades, and clades that originate elsewhere (e.g. the Bactrocera dorsalis species group). Bidirectional movement of species has occurred between Papua New Guinea and Australia, with evidence for multiple incursions over evolutionary time. The Bactrocera aglaiae species group emerged sister to all other Bactrocera species examined. Divergence time estimates were ∼ 30 my younger than previously reported for this group, with the tribe diverging from its most recent common ancestor ∼ 43 mya. Ancestral trait reconstruction and tests for trait phylogenetic signal revealed a strong signal for the evolution of male lure response across the tree, with cue-lure/raspberry ketone lure response the ancestral trait. Methyl eugenol response has arisen on multiple, independent occasions. The evolution of host breadth exhibited a weaker signal; yet, basal groups were more likely to be host specialists. Both the evolution of lure response and host fruit use provide predictive information for the outbreak management of understudied pest fruit flies for which direct inference of these features may be lacking. Our results, which parallel those of earlier research into the closely-related African Dacus spp. , demonstrate how geographically focussed taxon coverage allows Dacini phylogenetics to more explicitly test evolutionary hypotheses, thereby progressing our understanding of the evolution of this highly diverse and recently-radiated group of flies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]