Bactrocera cucurbitae

Scientific Name Of The Pest

Common Name of the Pest

Melon fly

Host Crops:

Gherkin, Cucumber , Bottle gourd, Bitter gourd, Sweet gourd, Snake gourd, Ridge gourd, Pointed gourd , Sponge gourd, Pumpkins ,Mask melon, Watermelon.

Bactrocera cucurbitae

Pectinophora gossypiella

Plutella xylostella

Rhynchophorus ferrugineus

Rhinoceros beetle

Scripophaga incertulas

Spodoptera frugiperda

Spodoptera litura

Tuta absoluta

Pest Identification:

Adult Melon fruit flies are similar in size to a housefly, about 6-8 mm long.
The body is light brown to a honey color in appearance.
There are several prominent bright yellow markings on the thorax (upper body) and a distinctive black 'T' pattern at the base of the abdomen (lower body).
The wings are clear with a dark coastal vein and "melon seed" shaped spot at the tip

Damage

Melon fly cannot be controlled by pesticide spray.
It prefers young, green, and tender fruits for egg laying.
The females lay the eggs 2 to 4 mm deep in the fruit pulp, and the maggots feed inside the developing fruits.
At times, the eggs are also laid in the corolla of the flower, and the maggots feed on the flowers. A few maggots have also been observed to feed on the stems.
The fruits attacked in early stages fail to develop properly, and drop or rot on the plant.
Since, the maggots damage the fruits internally, it is difficult to control this pest with insecticides.
One female may lay over 1000 eggs during her life.
Oviposition peaks occur in the morning and late afternoon. Eggs hatch in about 24 hours.

Control Measures:

Set up APS Easy fruit fly trap/APS Maxfill Trap with APS Mr.Melon fly pheromone Lure to monitor, attract and kill the male melon flies @5-8nos per acre