Insect
Melon Fly
Bactrocera cucurbitaeAlso known as Melon Fruit Fly, Pumpkin Fly
Melon flies are high-contrast yellow and brown fruit flies famous for infesting gourds, squashes, and melons. Female flies pierce young crop fruits with a needle-like ovipositor to deposit eggs inside, causing internal rot as larvae feed. Native to tropical Asia, their rapid reproduction rate makes them formidable agricultural threats across warm regions worldwide.
Agricultural PestTropicalFly
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyMelons, Cucumbers, Squashes
Predators
- Spiders
- Ants
- Insectivorous Birds
ThreatsPesticide application, biological control releases, and sterile insect eradication programs.
HabitatsAgricultural fields, orchards, vegetable gardens, and lowland croplands.
Life span1 to 5 months as an adult
Classification
- FamilyTephritidae
- SpeciesBactrocera cucurbitae
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Host Inspection: Check young melons or squashes for tiny puncture marks and localized sap oozing.
- Biosecurity: Dispose of infested garden produce in sealed bags to break the breeding cycle.
Competitor no rights reserved, uploaded by Jesse Rorabaugh · cc0
Close Relative (c) U.S. Department of Agriculture, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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