The Dirty Dozens : An overview of the pest species of Bactrocera fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae)

The genus Bactrocera is extremely diverse, with 655 described species associated with over 760 host species, in 88 families. Most species are native to the Asia-Pacific region, ranging from Pakistan east to French Polynesia. As humans have transformed natural landscapes into agricultural production, more than 10% (74) of its species have become destructive pests of cultivated fruits and flowers and fruits of cucurbits. While the majority of these are pests in their native range, several have become even more destructive, as they have invaded new islands and continents, severely reducing fruit production and threatening food security. We present an overview of these pests, their distribution, historical invasions, and traditional diagnostic tools to help in their identification.