Host Use of Bactrocera latifrons, a New Invasive Tephritid Species in Tanzania

Bactrocera latifrons (Hendel) is a pest of Asian origin, first detected in Africa in 2006. We assessed the host utilization of this quarantine pest in Morogoro region, eastern central Tanzania, by collecting a wide range of cultivated and wild host plants of species belonging to Solanaceae and Cucurbitaceae from April 2007 to April 2008. Fruit were collected from 29 plant species and varieties (16 Solanaceae and 13 Cucurbitaceae) in all agroecological zones of Morogoro region. Twelve solanaceous fruit species yielded B. latifrons of which four are new host records: Capsicum annuum L. cov. longum A. DC., Capsicum chinense Jacq., Solanum sodomeum L., and Solanum scabrum Mill. Similarly, three cucurbitaceous fruit species provided positive rearings and are new host records: Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum & Nakai, Cucumis dipsaceus L., and Momordica cf trifoliata L. The infestation rate and incidence of the pest was mainly high in the solanaceous hosts of nightshades (Solanum nigrum L. and Solanum scabrum) and African eggplants (Solanum aethiopicum Lam. and Solanum anguivi). In a host preference study involving limited number of cultivated solanaceous crops, S. scabrum was recorded as the most preferred host. The pest has been found to outnumber Bactrocera invadens (Drew et al.), Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett), and Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) in most of the common solanaceous hosts.