Tephritid fruit flies are considered among the world’s most notorious pests of horticultural crops, causing extensive direct and indirect damage. Due to the intensification of international fruit trade, the African continent is also highly vulnerable to alien invasive fruit fly species such as Bactrocera dorsalis which bring significant damage to mangoes — up to 90 per cent of the harvest can be lost depending on the location, cultivar and season.
“Most African Member States now face an enormous challenge due to the introduction of Bactrocera dorsalis in Africa in 2003, which closed many international markets and increased damage to fruit,” said Rui Cardoso Pereira, entomologist at the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture.
