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<em>Bactrocera carambolae</em>

Bactrocera carambolae

Carambola fruit fly
Previous scientific names: Bactrocera sp. (carambola fruit fly), Bactrocera sp. nr. B. dorsalis (A)

Diagnosis

Morphological – adult

Features include:

  • face fulvous with a pair of medium sized oval black spots
  • scutum dull black with brown behind lateral postsutural vittae, around mesonotal suture and inside postpronotal lobes
  • postpronotal lobes and notopleura yellow
  • mesopleural stripe reaching midway between anterior margin of notopleuron and anterior npl. seta dorsally
  • two broad parallel sided lateral postsutural vittae ending at or behind ia. seta
  • medial postsutural vitta absent
  • scutellum yellow
  • legs with femora fulvous with a large elongate oval dark fuscous to black preapical spot on outer surfaces of fore femora in some specimens, tibiae dark fuscous (except mid tibiae paler apically)
  • wings with cells bc and c colourless, microtrichia in outer corner of cell c only, a narrow fuscous costal band slightly overlapping R2+3 and expanding slightly beyond apex of R2+3 across apex of R4+5, sometimes as a fishhook shape, a narrow fuscous anal streak
  • supernumerary lobe of medium development
  • abdominal terga III-V orange-brown with a ‘T’ pattern consisting of a narrow transverse black band across anterior margin of tergum III and widening to cover lateral margins, a medium width medial longitudinal black band over all three terga, anterolateral corners of terga IV dark fuscous to black and rectangular in shape and anterolateral corners of tergum V dark fuscous, a pair of oval orange-brown shining spots on tergum V
  • abdominal sterna dark coloured
  • posterial lobe of male surstylus short
  • female with aculeus tip needle shaped (Drew and Romig 2013, Royer pers. comm.).

Morphological – larvae

See White and Elson-Harris 1992 p. 193.

Molecular

DNA barcoding

Diagnostic BOLD reference data available.

COI data
B. carambolae CAR002 Classic morphology Folmers COI
B. carambolae CAR003 Abdomen variation Folmers COI
B. carambolae CAR004 Scutum variation Folmers COI
B. carambolae CAR009 Abdomen/Scutum variation Folmers COI
B. carambolae CAR011 Abdomen variation Folmers COI
B. carambolae CAR012 Classic morphology Folmers COI
B. carambolae CAR013 Classic morphology Folmers COI
B. carambolae CAR016 Wing variation Folmers COI
B. carambolae CAR017 Classic morphology Folmers COI
B. carambolae CAR1 Abdomen/Scutum variation Folmers COI
B. carambolae CAR2 Scutum variation Folmers COI

EIF3L data
B. carambolae CAR002 Classic specimen EIF3L
B. carambolae CAR003 Abdomen variation EIF3L
B. carambolae CAR012 Classic specimen EIF3L
B. carambolae CAR013 Classic specimen EIF3L
B. carambolae CAR016 Wing variation EIF3L
B. carambolae CAR017 Classic specimen EIF3L

DDOSTs2 data
B. carambolae CAR002 Classic morphology DDOSTs2
B. carambolae CAR009 Abdomen/Scutum variation DDOSTs2
B. carambolae CAR012 Classic morphology DDOSTs2
B. carambolae CAR013 Classic morphology DDOSTs2
B. carambolae CAR016 Wing variation DDOSTs2
B. carambolae CAR017 Classic morphology DDOSTs2
B. carambolae CAR1 Abdomen/Scutum variation DDOSTs2
B. carambolae CAR2 Scutum variation DDOSTs2

POP4 data
B. carambolae CAR002 Classic morphology POP4
B. carambolae CAR003 Abdomen variation POP4
B. carambolae CAR004 Scutum variation POP4
B. carambolae CAR012 Classic morphology POP4
B. carambolae CAR013 Classic morphology POP4
B. carambolae CAR016 Wing variation POP4
B. carambolae CAR017 Classic morphology POP4
B. carambolae CAR1 Abdomen/Scutum variation POP4
B. carambolae CAR2 Scutum variation POP4

RPA2 data
B. carambolae CAR016 Wing variation RPA2
B. carambolae CAR017 Classic morphology RPA2

PCR-RFLP Test 1

BsrI: 650, 250

HinfI: Does not cut

HhaI: 680, 200

Sau3AI: 400, 450

SnaBI: 350, 530

SspI: Does not cut

Vspl: 355, 485

Approximate ITS1 fragment length – gel: 850 bp

PCR-RFLP Test 2

All restriction enzymes listed in Restriction enzyme haplotype chart, except SspI, distinguish B. carambolae from others in the B. dorsalis species complex.

Choice of enzyme will be based on relative distinctiveness from other species potentially trapped; descriptions of the patterns are given in Diagnostic restriction patterns.

Host Range

Bactrocera carambolae has been recorded on hosts from a wide range of families. These include:

  • Alangiaceae
  • Anacardiaceae
  • Annonaceae
  • Apocynaceae
  • Arecaceae
  • Clusiaceae
  • Combretaceae
  • Euphorbiaceae
  • Lauraceae
  • Loganiaceae
  • Meliaceae
  • Moraceae
  • Myristicaceae
  • Myrtaceae
  • Oleaceae
  • Oxalidaceae
  • Polygalaceae
  • Punicaceae
  • Rhamnaceae
  • Rhizophoraceae
  • Rutaceae
  • Sapindaceae
  • Sapotaceae
  • Simaroubaceae
  • Solanaceae
  • Symplocaceae

For a full list of recorded species see Allwood et al. 1999.

Major commercial hosts:

  • Artocarpus heterophyllus (jackfruit)
  • Averrhoa carambola (carambola)
  • Mangifera indica (mango)
  • Manilkara zapota (sapodilla)
  • Psidium guajava (guava)
  • Syzygium aqueum (watery rose-apple)
  • Syzygium jambos (rose apple)
  • Syzygium malaccense (malacca apple)
  • Syzygium samarangense (wax apple)

 

Distribution

Southern Thailand, Southern Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia, East Malaysia, Kalimantan (Borneo), Singapore, Indonesian islands east to Sumbawa, Andaman Islands, Surinam, French Guiana, Guyana, Brazil (Drew and Romig 2013).

Similar species

Bactrocera carambolae is similar to the Australian B. opiliae but differs in an expanding costal band, rectangular bands on tergum IV and dark tibia.

It is similar to the Australian B. musae but differs in having longer more parallel sided lateral vittae, an expanding costal band, a more defined T on the abdomen and rectangular bands on tergum IV.

It is similar to the exotic B. dorsalis but differs in having a broader costal band overlapping R2+3 and expanding apically around R4+5, sometimes having a subapical spot on the fore femora, and having rectangular bands present on tergum IV.

Pest Status

  • Exotic
  • This species is a major economic pest throughout the region where it occurs

Attractant/Lure

Methyl eugenol