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HOST PREFERENCE OF FRUIT FLY, BACTROCERA ZONATA TOWARDS DIFFERENT HOST FRUITS AT VARIOUS STAGES OF RIPENESS

Mehreen Ayaz*, Muhammad Hamayoon Khan, Asima Azam, Sunbal Noor, Aiman, Muhammad Salman, Sayed Jawad Ahmad Shah, Bibi Hajra

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Abstract

Bactrocera zonata (Diptera: Tephritidae), the peach fruit fly, poses a major risks to tropical and subtropical fruit harvests. This study investigates Bactrocera zonata's preference for oviposition and the progeny's performance with respect to various fruit ripening stages, such as mango, guava, banana, and peach. Experiment was conducted to analyze the preference of fruit flies across different stages of ripeness. According to the results, mature and completely ripe stages are highly preferable because they attracted more adult flies than green or unripe stages of the fruit. Furthermore, ripe guava was a better host for Bactrocera zonata due to its superior biological parameters, which included high pupal recovery (128.00), percent adult emergence (85.2%), and longevity (38.6 days). Banana followed closely, showing optimal pupal weight (11.68 mg) and length (0.47 cm). Conversely, mango presented the least favorable conditions for fruit fly development. In order to effectively decrease Bactrocera zonata infestations, this study highlights how important it is to put early management techniques into effect that target susceptible ripeness stages. Strategies including baits, fruit fly traps, biological control, and the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) are recommended for integrated pest management in fruit production.

Keywords: Bactrocera zonata, fruit fly, fruit ripening stages, host preference, biological control, Sterile Insect Technique (SIT).