Dacus axanus (Hering)
Dacus axanus (Photo: S. Wilson) DISTRIBUTION: Common species throughout northeastern and northwestern parts of Australia, Torres Strait islands and most of Papua New Guinea, except for the Highlands and Bougainville.
HOST PLANTS: This potential pest of cucurbits was once bred from luffa or spongy gourd (Luffa aegyptiaca) in the Central Province of Papua New Guinea and has also been bred from angled luffa (Luffa acutangula) and snake gourd (Trichosanthes cucumerina) in Australia.
BIOLOGY: Not yet studied.
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE: This is a potential cucurbit pest.
MALE LURE: Cue-lure.
QUARANTINE SURVEILLANCE: Cue-lure trapping and regular host fruit surveys of Cucurbitaceae.
OPTIONS FOR RESPONSE (If newly discovered in a country): Increased trapping, increased host fruit sampling, restriction of fruit movement, protein bait spraying, male annihilation.
CONTROL: Protein bait spraying, destruction of fallen and overripe fruits, early harvest of mature green fruits.
REFERENCES:
Drew, R.A.I. 1989. The tropical fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae) of the Australasian and Oceanian regions. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum. Volume 26. 521 pp. (Description and illustration).
Page updated on: 17 October, 2002