UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



jt«-^*^3L 



I BULLETIN No. 643 



Contribution from the Bureau of Entomology 

 L. O. HOWARD, Chief 



j&? m< &j-u 



Washington, D. C. 



March 8, 1918 



THE MELON FLY. 1 



By E. A. Back, Entomologist, and C. E. Pembebton, Assistant Entomologist, 

 ■ Mediterranean and Other Fruit Fly Investigations. 



CONTENTS. 



What the melon fly is like 



Origin and distribution 



Establishment and spread in Hawaii 



Methods of spread 



Economic importance 



Nature of injury caused by the melon fly . 

 Food or host plants 



Interesting facts concerning the adult fly 



Why the melon fly is a serious pest 



Control measures 



Measures taken to keep fruit flies of Hawaii 

 from gaining a foothold in continental 

 "United States 



16 Summary . 



22 

 24 

 25 



HP HE MELON FLY is a serious pest that never should have 

 ■*■ gained access to the Hawaiian Islands. Its establishment in 

 Hawaii came naturally enough, as in the case of many of our worst 

 insect enemies, along with the development of unrestricted modern 

 commerce, and owing to the lack, in earlier days, of a knowledge of 

 pests in other lands likely to be introduced into ours, or of any 

 quickened public opinion which, at last thoroughly alive to the 

 great financial losses that may be averted, is to-day heartily sup- 

 porting Federal quarantines directed against just such pests as 

 the melon fly. 



The melon fly is now established thoroughly throughout the 

 coastal regions of the Hawaiian Islands and never will be eradi- 

 cated. It attacks many vegetables that otherwise could be grown 

 readily by the poorer people, who are least able to purchase them. 

 Melons, pumpkins, squashes, cucumbers, and tomatoes, and some 



1 Bactrocera cucurbitae Coq. ; order Diptera, family Trypetidae. 



For a more extended account of the melon fly see Back, E. A., and Pemberton, C. E. 

 The melon fly in Hawaii. TJ. S. Dept. Agr. Bui. 491. 64 p., 24 pi., 10 fig. 1917. This 

 may be obtained from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, 

 Washington, D. C, for 25 cents. 



Note. — The manuscript of this paper was prepared for publication as a Farmers' Bul- 

 letin, but owing to the fact that it deals with an insect which has not yet been introduced 

 into the continental United States it was considered more appropriate to issue it in the 

 series of Department Bulletins. 



1 

 18314° — 18 — Bull. 643 1 



