Diagnosis
Morphological – adult
Large species. Features include;
- medium sized fuscous to black facial spots present
- postpronotal lobes and notopleura yellow
- scutum red-brown with two broad lateral longitudinal fuscous bands, mesopleural stripe reaching almost to anterior npl. seta, lateral postsutural vittae beginning anterior to mesonotal suture, broad medial postsutural vitta present, scutellum yellow
- wing with a broad fuscous costal band and anal streak, an irregular recurved pale fuscous marking across wing, cells bc and c extremely pale fuscous (cell c paler in centre), microtrichia in outer 1/3 of cell c only
- abdominal terga I-V fulvous except for broad lateral fuscous margins on tergum I and a narrow medial longitudinal fuscous band on tergum V
- posterior lobe of male surstylus long
- female with aculeus tip trilobed (Drew 1989; pers. comm. Drew 2010).
Morphological – larvae
Not available.
Molecular
DNA barcoding
BOLD reference data not available.
PCR-RFLP Test 1
BsrI: Data not available
HinfI: Data not available
HhaI: Data not available
Sau3AI: Data not available
SnaBI: Data not available
SspI: Data not available
Vspl: Data not available
PCR-RFLP Test 2
Data not avaliable.
Gallery
linkZeugodacus decipiens - Abdomen Dorsal Classic DCP001
linkZeugodacus decipiens - Abdomen Ventral Classic DCP001
linkZeugodacus decipiens - Entire Body Dorsal Classic DCP001
linkZeugodacus decipiens - Entire Body Lateral Classic DCP001
linkZeugodacus decipiens - Entire Fly Dorsal with Wing Classic DCP001
linkZeugodacus decipiens - Head Classic DCP001
linkZeugodacus decipiens - Legs Classic DCP001
linkZeugodacus decipiens - Right Wing Classic DCP001
linkZeugodacus decipiens - Scutum Pattern Classic DCP001
Host Range
Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo)(Cucurbitaceae) is the only recorded host (Leblanc et al. 2012).
Major commercial hosts (Drew 1989):
Distribution
Papua New Guinea (New Britain) (Drew 1989).

Similar species
Distinctive in having a medial vitta and recurved pattern on the wings.
Additional information:
Zeugodacus decipiens larvae can co-exist in pumpkin with melon fly larvae (Zeugodacus cucurbitae) but its rate of development is much slower.
Previously known as Bactrocera (Paradacus) decipiens in the Zeugodacus subgenus group until Zeugodacus was elevated to genus level by Virgilio et al. 2015. Now known as Zeugodacus (Paradacus) decipiens. For a full list of Zeugodacus species see DeMeyer et al. 2015.
Pest Status
- Exotic
- A pest of pumpkins in New Britain
Attractant/Lure
No known male attractant. Responds to Ceratrap protein traps placed within pumpkin crops (Royer et al. 2017)