UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



BULLETIN No. 536 



Contribution from the Bureau of Entomology 

 L. O. HOWARD, Chief 



Washington, D. C. 



PROFESSIONAL PAPER 



January 26, 1918 



THE MEDITERRANEAN FRUIT FLY IN HAWAII. 



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

 Mediterranean and Other Fruit-fly Investigations. 



CONTENTS. 1 



Introduction 



Common names 



Origin 



Distribution 



Source of Hawaiian infestation 



Conditions favorable to establishment in the 

 Hawaiian Islands 



Climatic conditions in Honolulu 



Host conditions 



Economic importance 



Page. 

 1 

 2 

 2 

 3 



Injury 16 



Methods of spread 18 



Host fruits 21 



Fruits erroneously listed as hosts 22 



Proven hosts in Hawaii 24 



Life history and description 49 



Seasonal history 75 



Natural control 77 



Artificial control 101 



Summary 116 



INTRODUCTION. 



The Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata Wied.) (fig. 1; PL 1, 

 fig. 1) since its discovery in the Hawaiian Islands in 1910 has caused a 

 serious and permanent check upon horticultural pursuits in these 

 islands. The history of this pest shows that it has been gradually 

 spreading to all tropical and subtropical countries. The frequency 

 with which infested fruits from Hawaii are being discovered and con- 

 demned at California ports by representatives of the Federal Hor- 

 ticultural Board indicates that this fruit fly might have become es- 

 tablished in parts of California and in our more Southern States and 

 might now be doing untold injury to fruit interests but for the effi- 

 cient quarantine maintained on the Pacific coast by State and Fed- 

 eral authorities. It is feared, however, that the Mediterranean fruit 

 fly ultimately will be able to find some unavoidable weakness in the 

 quarantine work and eventually become established on the mam- 

 land of North America. 



The investigations reported in this publication have been carried 

 on by the Bureau of Entomology, United States Department of Agri- 



1 It has been found necessary to omit a bibliography consisting of about 350 references accompanied by 

 brief resume material. Reference should be made to Silvestri, Bulletin No. 3, Hawaiian Bd. Agr. and 

 Forestry, for the most complete printed bibliography. 

 81340°— 18— Bull 536 1 



