Synonymization of key pest species within theBactrocera dorsalisspecies complex (Diptera:Tephritidae): taxonomic changes based on a review of 20 years of integrative morphological, molecular, cytogenetic, behavioural and chemoecological data

Abstract

AbstractBactrocera papayaeDrew &Hancock,Bactrocera philippinensisDrew &Hancock,Bactrocera carambolaeDrew &Hancock, andBactrocera invadensDrew,Tsuruta &White are four horticultural pest tephritid fruit fly species that are highly similar, morphologically and genetically, to the destructive pest, theOriental fruit fly,Bactrocera dorsalis(Hendel) (Diptera:Tephritidae). This similarity has rendered the discovery of reliable diagnostic characters problematic, which, in view of the economic importance of these taxa and the international trade implications, has resulted in ongoing difficulties for many areas of plant protection and food security. Consequently, a major international collaborative and integrated multidisciplinary research effort was initiated in 2009 to build upon existing literature with the specific aim of resolving biological species limits amongB. papayae,B. philippinensis,B. carambolae,B. invadensandB. dorsalisto overcome constraints to pest management and international trade.Bactrocera philippinensishas recently been synonymized withB. papayaeas a result of this initiative and this review corroborates that finding; however, the other names remain in use. While consistent characters have been found to reliably distinguishB. carambolaefromB. dorsalis,B. invadensandB. papayae, no such characters have been found to differentiate the latter three putative species. We conclude thatB. carambolaeis a valid species and that the remaining taxa,B. dorsalis,B. invadensandB. papayae, represent the same species. Thus, we considerB. dorsalis(Hendel) as the senior synonym ofB. papayaeDrew andHancocksyn.n.andB. invadensDrew,Tsuruta &Whitesyn.n.A redescription ofB. dorsalisis provided. Given the agricultural importance ofB. dorsalis, this taxonomic decision will have significant global plant biosecurity implications, affecting pest management, quarantine, international trade, postharvest treatment and basic research. Throughout the paper, we emphasize the value of independent and multidisciplinary tools in delimiting species, particularly in complicated cases involving morphologically cryptic taxa.