BANANA AS A HOST FRUIT OF THE MEDITERRANEAN 
FRUIT FLY 
By E. A. Back, Entomological Assistant , and C. E. Pemberton, Scientific Assistant 
Mediterranean Fruit-Fly Investigations , Bureau of Entomology 
INTRODUCTION 
The banana export trade of the Hawaiian Islands amounted to 256,319 
bunches of Chinese bananas (Musa cavendishii) during the year ending 
June 30, 1915. Although 25,448 bunches were shipped during June, 
1915, the monthly average for the year was 19,621. With such a trade 
with the California coast established, it became imperative to determine 
to what extent bananas are infested by the Mediterranean fruit fly 
(Ceratitis capitata Wied.), in order that data might be placed on file for 
the guidance of the Federal Horticultural Board in forming its quaran¬ 
tine regulations for the protection of mainland fruit interests. While it 
has been proved that bananas may serve as host fruits of this fruit fly 
when ripe, all data happily corroborate the general belief among shippers 
and growers, as well as among entomologists familiar with the situation, 
that Chinese bananas and Jamaica or Bluefield bananas (Musa spp.), 
when cut and shipped under commercial conditions, are immune to 
attack and offer no danger as carriers of this pest if properly inspected 
and certified as provided for by the regulations of the Federal Horti¬ 
cultural Board (8). 1 These regulations, it may be stated, provide for 
inspection in the packing sheds for the presence of prematurely ripe, 
bruised, cracked, and decayed fruits; require the use of safe packing 
material; and prohibit the shipment of bananas from plantations the 
surroundings of which have not been favorably passed upon from a fruit- 
fly standpoint by a representative of the Board. 
EVIDENCE FROM TRAPS AS TO THE PRESENCE OF ADULT FRUIT FLIES 
IN BANANA PLANTATIONS 
The establishment of a series of traps among banana plants has shown 
that adult fruit flies are everywhere present in banana plantations in 
Hawaii. Traps were placed in the Moanalua, Moiliili, Waikiki, Mokuleia, 
Kawaihapai, and Puuiki plantations. As many as 793 adult flies were 
taken in one trap suspended from a bunch of bananas in a field at 
Moanalua between July 28 and August 7, 1913. Traps hung in the 
much larger and exceptionally well isolated banana fields of Puuiki, 
Kawaihapai, and Mokuleia in the Waialua district of Oahu showed a 
1 Numbers in parentheses refer to “literature cited,” p. 803. 
Journal of Agricultural Research, 
Dept, of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. 
bx 
(793) 
Vol. V, No. 17 
Jan. 34, 1916 
K—23 
