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Oviposition Competition Between Zeugodacus cucurbitae and Bactrocera dorsalis Adults in Five Hosts
by
Hongai Su
†, 
Jin Zhao
†,
Haikuo Yu
†,
Saleem Jaffar
†,
Zhenyu Hao
,
Guangwen Liang
,
Ling Zeng
and
Yongyue Lu
* Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Insects 2025, 16(4), 419; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16040419
Submission received: 22 January 2025
/
Revised: 8 April 2025
/
Accepted: 11 April 2025
/
Published: 15 April 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Insect Pest and Vector Management)
Simple Summary
As significant invasive pests, the melon fruit fly (Zeugodacus cucurbitae) and the oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) cause significant economic losses in agricultural and forestry production. Their high reproductive capacity and adaptability further complicate control efforts. This paper investigates the oviposition competition between laboratory populations of these two fruit flies on five commonly infested hosts: pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata), cucumber (Cucumis sativus), winter melon (Benincasa hispida), bitter melon (Momordica charantia) and guava (Psidium guajava). The oviposition competition between B. dorsalis and Z. cucurbitae on different hosts shows significant differences. B. dorsalis exhibits a competitive advantage on hosts such as pumpkin and winter melon, while Z. cucurbitae performs better on cucumber. In mixed groups, the oviposition capabilities of the two species influence each other. This research lays a foundation for understanding the population dynamics and developmental succession of these two fruit fly species while also contributing to the development of effective prevention and control strategies.
Abstract
The Zeugodacus cucurbitae and Bactrocera dorsalis are economically significant pests that share similar habitats and host plants, leading to intense interspecific competition. To elucidate their competitive interactions, this study investigated the oviposition competition behavior of mixed laboratory populations on five common host plants: pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata), cucumber (Cucumis sativus), winter melon (Benincasa hispida), bitter melon (Momordica charantia) and guava (Psidium guajava). The results exhibited that among the five hosts tested, B. dorsalis exhibited a significant competitive advantage in oviposition on pumpkin and bitter melon, with its fecundity greater than that of Z. cucurbitae across all ratios. Conversely, Z. cucurbitae showed a clear preference for cucumber. Except at the extreme ratio of 16:4, where B. dorsalis laid slightly more eggs than that of Z. cucurbitae, Z. cucurbitae laid more eggs at all ratios. The results can provide a reference for further investigation on the oviposition selectivity and interspecific competition between the adults of Z. cucurbitae and B. dorsalis.
Keywords:
Zeugodacus cucurbitae; Bactrocera dorsalis; oviposition; competition; host
