Ecological and Control Studies on Peach Fruit Fly, Bactrocera Zonata

The fruit flies (family: Tephertidae) are important group of insect pests of horticulture production throughout the world. Over 1500 fly species occur wide of which 50 species are regarded as major pests and another 30 species are of minor economic importance.The peach fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata (Saund.)considered one of the most destructive fruit pests which spread in several regions of the world. It is also recorded in several governorates in Egypt.The peach fruit fly B. zonata is a polyphagous insect. Its main hosts are guava, mango and peach. Secondary hosts include apricot, fig and citrus. Females lay their eggs in the ripened fruits while the maggots devour the pulp. Subsequently, secondary infections with bacterial and fungal diseases are frequent and in¬fested fruits drop down.The peach fruit fly control was heavily rely on aerial application of malathion, bait sprays, or ground cover sprays of potent organophosphorus pesticides.

B.Sc.(General Agricultural Production); M.Sc.(Economic Entomology); Assistant Lecturer at Plant Protection Department, Faculty of Agriculture , Sohag University, Egypt, 2013; Member of research project team under title( Studies on the Inhibitors of Insect Gut Proteases from Certain Egyptian Pulses and Cereal Germplasms),funded by STDF,2010-2014.