102 



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Report of the Government Entomologist, 1903-4. In this report Fuller 

 states : " Amongst the batch of newly-observed pests which I have to record 

 is that known as the Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Ceratitis capitata}." 



There are a number of different species of the genus Ceratitis found in the 

 southern half of Africa, so that it almost appears to he the home of the 

 group ; and our particular species, C. capitafa, may have been a native of 

 northern Africa and crossed over into southern Spain. 



In the tropical portion of the eastern coast of South America, Lounsbury 

 found this Mediterranean fruit-fly widely distributed and one of the worst 

 fruit pests ; but it was there thought to be an introduced fly of somewhat 

 recent date. 



None of the countries of North America or the West Indian Islands 

 (with the exception of Bermuda) are infested with this fruit-fly, though the 

 conditions seem well adapted to its habits. 



It was recorded as a peach-pest in Bermuda in 1890 in " Insect Life "; but 

 is said to have infested fruit on this island for about forty years. Howard, 

 when he identified the species, suggested that the orchardists should clean up 

 their orchards and burn or' bury all infested fruit ; but no particular measures 

 were taken until last year, when the Board of Agriculture had an Act passed, 

 entitled the Fruit Fly Destruction Act of 1907. This Act came into force 

 on 1st March of that year, the Legislature having granted 500 for the 

 purpose of carrying out the recommendations of the Board of Agriculture, 

 namely, "that an attempt be made to eradicate the insect pest known as the 

 fruit-fly (Ceratitis capitata)" The following remarks are taken from a 

 report furnished by Mr. T. I. Harris, Director of the Public Gardens, under 

 whose supervision the work was placed, and which was printed in The 

 Bermuda Colonist, 12th August, 1907 : 



"It is almost safe to assert that the flies of each succeeding generation 

 remain around about the trees whose fruits afford the food necessary for the 

 maggot ; and from this it might be inferred that if fruit-growing became an 

 industry in Bermuda, the planting of orchards of mixed fruit-trees is to be 

 particularly avoided, unless growers are prepared to keep the ground under 

 the trees perfectly clear of weeds, and to collect and destroy promptly all 

 fallen fruit. 



" Though the great variety of fruiting-trees growing here is insufficient to 

 furnish propagating media for flies throughout the whole year, each successive 

 generation making use of a different kind of fruit, without doubt the Surinam 

 cherry (Eugenia MicJiili) has been the most potent factor in perpetuating the 

 pest. There are two main crops of fruit, one in the spring and another in 

 the fall, but stragglers between each cause the two crops to overlap. 



"The loquats (Eriobotryajaponica), ripening in February and March, are 

 used by the fruit-flies of the year, from the puparia that have lived dormant 

 in the ground during the two coldest months, and the larvae hatched from the 

 eggs of these flies begin to pupate before the loquats are all over. In some 

 instances this year, where the fruit had been pecked by birds and had 

 shrivelled on the trees, complete pupae were found within the fruit. At the 

 end of April and during May, the peach, cherry, oranges (both sweet and 

 sour), lemons and limes, Barbados gooseberry, and capsicums bring forth 

 another crop of maggots that, after pupation, are just in time for the sapo- 

 dillas in June and July. Following these are the mangoes, coffee, sweet 

 peppers, cherries again, avacado pears, guavas, sugar apples, cherimoyas, 

 quinces, coco-plum, granadillas, and star apples, which serve as propagating 

 . media until the final resting brood goes to earth during December. 



