Seasonal Distribution and Abundance of Dacus cucurbitae (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Abstract

Distribution of the melon fly, Dacus cucurbitae Coquillett, was determined by trapping males at 100 sites throughout the island of Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Melon flies were most numerous along the south coastal trap sites. Flies caught in traps were significantly correlated to pupal yield from samples of infested fruits of Momordica charantia L. for two of three years. Rainfall was significantly correlated with trap catches for the two low rainfall years of 1984 and 1987, but not for the two high rainfall years of 1985 and 1986. The highest trap catch of 5.8 flies per trap per day in 1986 was 100 times less than the number of flies caught in an earlier study in 1961 when the peak was 614 flies per trap per day and precipitated eradication efforts in 1963.