“Key Informant Survey” of Production, Value, Losses and ... - DfID

Section 10: Rearing, Culture and Diet
Fly Host Location Author Date Summary
B. cucurbitae Anand and Anand 1990 In experiments to determine the dietary effects of D-isomers of 10 essential amino acids on larvae of the
tephritid B. cucurbitae, incorporating phenylalanine and tryptophan into a casein-based diet gave the best
growth increase, followed by threonine, methionine and lysine. Arginine produced the maximum inhibition of
growth and reduced survival.
B. tau Bala 1987 The preoviposition period of the tephritid B. tau was determined on natural (fruit of Luffa spp.) and synthetic
diets . Flies with a diet consisting of natural food, extra protein hydrolysate, vitamins, minerals and
carbohydrates had the shortest preoviposition period (9 days ). Tephritids fed on protinex and glucose had the
longest preoviposition period (25 days).
B. cucurbitae Bhagat and Koul 1999 The seasonal biology of melon fruit fly, B. cucurbitae, was studied during pre-monsoon (April-June),
monsoon (July-September) and post-monsoon (October-December). Field-collected adults of B. cucurbitae
were housed in glass tubes with fresh slices of bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria), examined after 24h and
their eggs collected. Eggs were placed on fresh bottle gourd slices kept on water-soaked filter papers and
observed for hatching. Freshly hatched maggots were transferred on bottle gourd slices in glass tubes. At the
onset of pupation, the slices were placed in tubes with water-soaked sand 50 mesh layer to facilitate
pupation. Results revealed that incubation, larval and pupal periods were lowest during the pre-monsoon
(1.00, 4.96 and 6.94 days, respectively) followed by monsoon and post-monsoon periods. Pre-oviposition
and oviposition periods were lower in pre-monsoon (11.06 and 12.12 days, respectively) than in monsoon
and post-monsoon periods. Adult emergence was highest in the pre-monsoon (80%), followed by monsoon
(74.4%) and post-monsoon (62.7%) periods.
B. cucurbitae Boush et al. 1977 Attempts were made to develop a chemically defined diet, for studying the nutritional requirements of this
pest. Hydrolysed yeast was successfully replaced by a mixture of sucrose, 9 essential amino acids (arginine,
histidine, isoleucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, threonine and valine), McCollum's salt
mixture, and 10 vitamins of the B complex.
B. cucurbitae Muskmelon,
snake gourd,
ribbed gourd
Chelliah 1970 The fruits of three cucurbits plants were investigated for their suitability as media for the mass culture of B.
cucurbitae Coq. in the laboratory. Muskmelon (Cucumis melo) proved the most suitable, snake gourd
(Trichosanthes anguina) the least so and ribbed gourd (Luffa acutangula) intermediate.
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