Fruit flies
The Mediterranean fruit fly, Oriental fruit fly, melon fly and Malaysian fruit fly
represent the fruit fly complex in Hawaii. U.S. Department of Agriculture--Agricultural
Research Services, is conducting a fruit fly suppression study in Hawaii. The program
has demonstrated that fruit fly populations can be substantially suppressed in an integrate
pest management program involving field sanitation, chemical use and the release of
sterile fruit flies. The success of the USDA, ARS suppression study in Hawaii is reason
for optimism that fruit fly eradication may be a possibility for Hawaii in the foreseeable
future. All four would have to be eradicated for Hawaii to be declared fruit fly free and
the above quarantine lifted.
The ARS study has demonstrated that fruit fly levels (melon, oriental and
Mediterranean) can be sharply reduced using Spinosad bait to reduce both male and
female flies; field sanitation to reduce populations in general; and male annihilation with
methyl eugenol (Oriental), cue lure (Melon) and Biolure (Medfly), to further drop fly
levels. The study will incorporate the release of parasitoids that attack either the egg or
larvae of the fruit flies in fruit and the release of sterile males. Eradication will require
the release of sterile males for medfly, melon and Malaysian for the final kill. New
technologies, in particular, safer pesticides as Spinosad, make fruit fly eradication in
Hawaii (Tephritid species) a more attainable goal today. Eradication will require the use
of substantial quantities of other toxicants in combination with fruit fly attractants in a
male fruit fly annihilation program. Additional funding is needed to begin a feasibility
study for the eradication of fruit flies in Hawaii, to conduct the necessary EA and EIS and
to fund additional research as needed to evaluate potential environmental impacts of the
technologies.
Hawaii is the only state under a full federal fruit fly quarantine; the presence of
fruit flies in Hawaii is a threat to U.S. mainland agriculture and a major bottleneck to the
expansion of diversified agriculture in the state, for local as well as export sales.
Statewide: All four fruit flies are established on all islands in the State.
For more information, see:
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