Oviposition punctures in cucurbit fruits and their economic damage caused by the sterile female melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae COQUILLETT

Abstract

The characteristics of oviposition punctures caused by sterile females of the melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae, and an evaluation of its economic damage were investigated in Okinawa, Japan. It was confirmed in a field-cage experiment that sterile females make oviposition punctures (sterile stings) on cucurbit fruits. The features of sterile stings were different depending on the species of fruits and were classified into five types. The punctures on cucurbit fruits collected in fields were checked and identified as sterile stings or not, using the criterion obtained from the field-cage experiment. The rates of damaged fruits by sterile females were estimated to be lower than 1% in cucumber, sponge gourd and bitter gourd.