Diagnosis

Morphological – adult

Features include:

• medium sized species
• medium sized black facial spots present
• postpronotal lobes and notopleura yellow
• scutum dull black (although some Cape York Peninsula specimens have a lot of brown on the scutum, however, recent molecular data indicates some of these
• may be B. opiliae), mesopleural stripe reaching midway between anterior margin of notopleuron and anterior npl. seta, lateral postsutural vittae present
• medial postsutural vitta absent, scutellum yellow
• wing with a narrow fuscous costal band and anal streak, cells bc and c colourless with microtrichia in outer corner of cell c only
• abdominal terga III-V may vary from uniformly orange-brown to orange-brown with a fuscous to black medial longitudinal band and fuscous to black anterolateral corners on tergum III
• posterior lobe of male surstylus short
• female with aculeus tip needle shaped (Drew 1989; pers. comm. Drew 2010).

Morphological – larvae

See White and Elson-Harris 1992 p. 217.

Molecular

Host Range

Bactrocera musae has been recorded on a range of hosts from nine families although some of these are doubtful records of single flies. Confirmed host families include Caricaceae, Musaceae, Myrtaceae (for a full list of recorded hosts see Hancock et al. 2000).

Major commercial hosts (Drew, 1989; Hancock et al., 2000):

• Musa species (banana)

Distribution

Torres Strait Islands and northeast Queensland, as far south as Townsville (Hancock et al. 2000, Royer and Hancock 2012), Papua New Guinea mainland and East New Britain, Manus and Lihir islands (Drew 1989) and West Papua (formerly part of Indonesian Irian Jaya) (Drew and Romig 2013).

Records from Solomon islands and Vanuatu are doubtful and likely attributable to other musae complex species (Leblanc et al. 2001).

Similar species

Similar to several other ME-responsive species. Similar to B. bancroftii, but differs in not having an apical band on the scutellum and having a wider costal band and narrower anal streak. Similar to B. endiandrae but differs in having a wider costal band, narrower anal streak, longer less tapered vittae and less of a distinct T or wraparound T on the abdomen.

Very similar to B. opiliae but differs in having a wider costal band that overlaps R2+3, a slightly wider anal streak, and usually less patterning on the abdomen (B. opilae has a distinct T).

Similar to the exotic B. dorsalis but differs in having a wider costal band that overlaps at R2+3, a slightly wider anal streak, slightly tapering and shorter vittae that usually end at the ia. setae, and usually less patterning on the abdomen.

Pest Status

• Native
• Major pest of bananas

Attractant/Lure

Methyl eugenol