Bactrocera cucurbitae, the melon fly, is a fruit fly of the family Tephritidae. It is a serious agricultural pest, particularly in Hawaii. The adult melon fly is 6 to 8 mm in length.

The melon fly was first found in California in 1956 and has been captured sporadically over the years, but all infestations have been successfully eradicated. Life Cycle A female melon fly usually lays eggs under the skin of host fruit; however, in its favored hosts in the family Cucurbitaceae, eggs may also be laid into flowers, stems, and ...

In the Indo-Malayan region, the melon fly, sometimes called the melon fruit fly, is considered the most destructive pest of melons and related crops, and it has greatly curtailed the production of melons, cucumbers and tomatoes in Hawaii.

Considered native to India, B. cucurbitae, the melon fly, is now found in more than 40 countries. The potential risk of its introduction to a new area is facilitated by an increase in international tourism and trade, and is influenced by changes in climate and land use.

The adult melon fly is approximately the size of a house fly, about 6 to 8 mm long.Worldwide, over 80 different kinds of fruits and vegetables are recorded as hosts. The most commonly attacked crops are cantaloupe, cucumber, watermelon, melons, squash, and gourds.

The melon fruit fly can successfully be managed over a local area by bagging fruits, field sanitation, protein baits, cue-lure traps, growing fruit fly-resistant genotypes, augmentation of biocontrol agents, and soft insecticides.

It is the first tephritid fruit fly species established in Hawaii. The damage to crops caused by melon flies result from 1) oviposition in fruit and soft tissues of vegetative parts of hosts 2) feeding by the larvae, and 3) decomposition of plant tissue by invading secondary microorganisms.

Melon flies were first introduced to the United States via Hawaii in 1895. They have since become a major agricultural pest particularly of cantaloupes, cucumbers, and watermelons. Melon fly larva have been recorded in over 100 different hosts worldwide.

Jan 1, 2005 · The melon fruit fly can successfully be managed over a local area by bagging fruits, field sanitation, protein baits, cue-lure traps, growing fruit fly-resistant genotypes, augmentation of biocontrol agents, and soft insecticides.

The Melon Fly ( Bactrocera cucurbitae) is a significant agricultural pest worldwide, causing substantial economic losses and ecological disruption. Its status as a plant pest stems from its destructive feeding habits and high reproductive rate, impacting a wide range of economically important plant species.