Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T09:17:11.552Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Fruit flies of sweet oranges in Nigeria: species diversity, relative abundance and spread in major producing areas

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2008

Vincent C. Umeh
Affiliation:
Natl. Hortic. Res. Inst., P.M.B. 5432, Idi-Ishin, Jericho Reservation Area, Ibadan, Nigeria
Loyd E. Garcia
Affiliation:
USDA, APHIS, PPQ, 920 Main Campus Drive, Suite 200, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, USA
Mark De Meyer
Affiliation:
R. Mus. Centr. Afr., Leuvensesteenweg 13, B-3080, Tervuren, Belgium
Get access

Abstract

Introduction. Fruit fly attack on citrus causes economic yield losses in Nigeria. The high demand for sweet oranges in recent times necessitates the need to develop control strategies that can reduce fruit fly damage and ameliorate yield. This can be achieved by identifying the diversity, abundance and spread of major sweet orange fruit flies. Materials and methods. Surveys were conducted during the citrus fruit maturity periods of 2003 and 2006 in citrus-producing areas of Nigeria. Owners of the sampled orchards were interviewed on their cultural practices that could contribute to fruit fly abundance and spread. The fruit flies were sampled by using two types of trap; namely, the McPhail® trap with yeast hydrolysate bait and the yellow sticky trap impregnated with ammonium acetate. The traps were hung on the citrus trees at a distance of 1.8 m from the ground. The distance between trees was 25 m and the traps were replicated three times per site. Results and discussion. Fruit flies identified on citrus belonged to the genera Bactrocera, Ceratitis, Dacus and Trirhithrum. While higher fruit fly diversity was observed in Edo, Ogun and Oyo states in the rainforest ecological zone, relatively higher populations of major genera (Bactrocera and Ceratitis) were recorded in Benue and Kaduna states in the Guinea savanna ecological zone. Bactrocera species occurrence increased during the second sampling period. Some farmers’ cultural practices were implicated as factors likely to have contributed to fruit fly abundance and spread. Conclusion. Fruit fly species of economic importance to citrus in Nigeria belonged to the genera Ceratitis and Bactrocera species. These genera were observed in the majority of surveyed areas.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© CIRAD, EDP Sciences, 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Kapoor V.C., Fruit fly pests and their present status in India, in: Barnes B.N. (Ed.), in: Proc. 6th Int. Fruit Fly Symp., 6–10 May 2002, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2002, 23–33.
Lux S.A., Zenz N., Kimani S., Economic role and distribution of fruit flies, ICIPE Annu. Rep. 1998/99, Icipe Sci. Press, Nairobi, Kenya, 1999.
Drew, R.A.I., Tsuruta, K., White, I.M., A new species of pest fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae) from Sri Lanka and Africa, Afr. Entomol. 13 (1) (2005) 149–154.
Vayssières, J.-F., Goergen, G., Lokossou, O., Dossa, P., Akponon, C., A new Bactrocera species in Benin among mango fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) species, Fruits 60 (6) (2005) 371–377. CrossRef
Aiyelagbe I.O.O, Kintomo A.A., Alasiri K.O., Oyedele O.M.O., Adetunji J.A., Giginyu M.B., Afolayan S.O., Olufolaji A.O., Umeh V.C., Citrus production in Nigeria: a state of the art, Res. Monogr. No. 1, NIHORT, Ibadan, Nigeria, 1999.
Umeh V.C., Fatokun H.K., Onukwu D., Insect pests associated with the damage of Chryso-phylum albidum G. Don fruits – A case study of Ibadan and its environs, in: Umeh V.C. and Fagbayide J.A. (Eds.), Proc. 20th Annu. Conf. Hortic. Soc. Niger. (HORTSON), May 14–17 2002, Natl. Hortic. Res. Inst. Audit. Idi-Ishin, Jericho Reservation Area, Ibadan, Nigeria, 2002, 257 p.
Agunloye, O.O., Trapping and chemical control of Ceratitis capitata (Wied.) (Diptera: Tephritidae) on sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) in Nigeria, J. Hortic. Sci. 62 (2) (1987) 269–271. CrossRef
Umeh, V.C., Ahonsi, S., Kolade, J.A., Insect pests encountered in a citrus orchard in Nigeria, Fruits 53 (1998) 397–408.
Umeh, V.C., Olaniyan, A.A., Ker, J., Andir, J., Development of fruit fly control strategies for small-holders in Nigeria, Fruits 59 (2004) 265–274. CrossRef
White I.M., Elson-Harris M.M., Fruit flies of economic significance: their identification and bionomics, CAB Int., Wallingford, UK, 1992, 601 p.
Entwistle, P.F., Pests of cocoa, Longman, London, Rev. Agric. Entomol. 62 (1972) 651.
Matanmi, B.A., The biology of Tephritid fruit flies (Diptera, Tephritidae) of cucurbits at Ile-Ife, Nigeria, Niger. J. Entomol. 1 (1975) 153–159.
Munro H.K., A taxonomic treatise on the Dacinae (Diptera: Tephritidae) of Africa, Entomol. Mem., Dep. Agric. Water Supply, Rep. S. Afr. 61 (1984) IX 1–313.
Cogan B.H., Munro H.K., Family Tephritidae, in: Crosskey R.W. (Ed.), Catalogue of the Diptera of the Afrotropical region, Br. Mus. (Nat. Hist.), London, UK, 1980, pp. 518–554.
Umeh, V.C., Aiyelaagbe, I.O.O., Kintomo, A.A., Giginyu, M.B., Insect pests situation and farmers’ cultural practices in citrus orchards in the Southern Guinea savanna agro-ecological zone of Nigeria, Niger. J. Hortic. Sci. 7 (2000) 26–32.
Mwatawala, M.W., White, I.M., Maerere, A.P., Senkondo, F.J., De Meyer, M., A new invasive Bactrocera species (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Tanzania, Afric. Entomol. 12 (2004) 154–156.