THE MEDITERRANEAN FRUIT FLY. 5 



at Honolulu plied between countries not infested by this pest. East- 

 ern Australia was not infested before 1898. With the development 

 of rapid ocean transportation and cold storage on ships, the Medi- 

 terranean countries were enabled profitably to export oranges to 

 Australia, and it was in these shipments of fruits that the fruit fly 

 reached Australian shores and became established about Perth and 

 Sydney. 



Establishment in Hawaii at Honolulu followed naturally the com- 

 mercial jump of the pest from the Mediterranean countries to Aus- 

 tralia. Honolulu is a port of call for ships plying between eastern 

 Australian ports and San Francisco and Vancouver, and the voyage 

 of about two weeks required for passage from Australia to Honolulu 

 is through a tropical climate permitting rapid development of the 

 fruit fly. No one ever will know just how the pest reached Honolulu 

 on these vessels from Australia, but in view of the rigid inspection 

 service of the Hawaiian Board of Agriculture it seems probable that 

 larva? falling from infested fruits in the ships' stores — in those days 

 often kept on deck — transformed to the winged adult stage by the 

 time of arrival at Honolulu. From 7 to 10 years ago trees bearing 

 fruits in which the fruit fly could develop grew in greater abundance 

 within a stone's throw of the docks than at the present time and 

 offered an excellent breeding place for stray adults flying from the 

 ships during the time these were in port. There is probably no 

 port in the world where conditions were so favorable for the estab- 

 lishment of this particular pest as was that of Honolulu 10 years ago. 



LOSSES INCURRED THROUGH THE FRUIT FLY. 



The economic importance of the Mediterranean fruit fly as a pest 

 of fruits varies with the climate of its natural abode, or habitat. 

 Thus, in France, near Paris, where it has been known to attack 

 apricots and peaches, it has not become a serious pest, because of 

 climatic checks. Such checks to the severity of its attacks have been 

 noted in portions of Australia, South Africa, and elsewhere, and 

 would be operative in continental United States except in portions 

 of California and the Southern States. On the other hand, in tropical 

 and semitropical countries the fruit fly is capable of becoming a pest 

 of first importance, and, as in the Hawahan Islands, may be classed 

 as the most important insect pest to horticultural development. 



Practically every fruit crop of value to man is subject to attack by 

 this fruit fly. Not only is it of importance as a destroyer of fruit, 

 but it is the cause of numerous stringent quarantines which cost 

 the State and Federal Governments much money to make effective 

 and which rob countries of good or prospective markets for their 

 fruit. Fortunately, it has been found that the Chinese banana and 

 the pineapple, the two most valuable species of fresh fruits formerly 



