The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1912-04-20
Mediterranean
Fruit Fly
Paper on the Subject by a California
horticuIturiSt.
(By A. w. Tate, Jr.)

Probably the most serious insect
pests known to horticulturists at
the present time, are three mem
bers of the same family. These are
the Morelos orange fruit worm,
Anastrepha ludens, the melon mag
got, Dacus cucurbitae, and the Me-
diterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capi
tata, all members of the family
Trypetidae, the fruit flies. The
last is the most dangerous of them
all, owing to the fact that it attacks
80 many different kinds of fruit.
1t is supposed that this pest is
native of the countries bordering on
the Mediterranean sea. At any rate,
one of the first places from which it
was reported as serious menace
was from the Azore Islands. 1t has
been established in Bermuda for
many years, and more recently in
South Africa and Australia. The
latest place to become infested is
the territory of Hawaii, where it
has become well established in the
Island of Oahu and also on Kauai.
Although it was only officially re-
ported in October 1910, it is more
than likely that it was introduced
there at least two years previously.
The female of this species is a
hairy fly slightly smaller than the
common house fly and Of yellow
ish color, with black and white
markings on the rounded thorax.
The wings are partly transparent,
banded and marked with four yell
wish-brown blotches, one at the
base, and the other three on the
broad part. The abdomen is point
ed, Of a dull yellow color crossed by
two silvery purple bands. Legs
yellow and eyes dark purple. The
wings are carried in a dropping
manner over the sides. 1t is said
to be very active, running about
over the fruit and foliage of the
tree, and when disturbed flies but
short distance often returning to the
same place.
The Mediterranean Fruit Fly is
primarily a citrus pest but has
changed its habits so that at the
present time there is no known
fruit which it will not attack. After
the orange, the peach is most seri-
ously injured. 1t is true that up to
the present time none have been
found by the California quarantine
officers in the banana or pineapple
coming from Hawaii, due probably
to the fact that these fruits shipped
green. At any rate both Of these
fruits are reported as being infested
by the New Zealand Department of
Agriculture.
The eggs of the fly are, laid be-
meath the skin of the ripening fruit
which is punctured for the purpose
by the female. The white pointed
maggot which matches from these
resembles the maggot of the Blow
Fly and is about half an inch in
length. The injury caused by the
maggot causes the fruit to ripen pre-
maturely and to fall to the ground,
the maggot escaping, enters the
ground and passes the pupal state
from which the adult fly issues.
The entire life cycle is about twenty
six to thirty days.
Many methods have been tried to
combat the ravages of this pest from
covering the entire tree with mos
quito netting to enclosing the indi-
vidual fruits in paper bags, but the
only method that gives any promise
Of success is that devised by the
New Zealand and Australian author
it(es. This consists of applying to
Che foliage of the trees, by means OF
a large syringe or injector, mix