Description

Adult

Face with dark spot in each antennal furrow. Frons with 2-3 pairs of frontal setae & 1 pair of orbital setae. Scutum of thorax red-brown, humeral lobe entirely yellow/orange. Scutellum yellow except for narrow basal band. Wing length 4.2-7.1 mm with complete costal band that expands into spot at apex. Cells bc & c colourless. All femora of legs pale basally and red-brown apically. Predominant colour of abdomen orange brown.

Larvae

Up to 11 mm long and 2mm wide. Anterior spiracles with16-20 tubules. Posterior spiracles 3 times as long as broad. Spiracular hairs long, fine and often branched apically.

Eggs

Reticulate, white to white-yellow, 0.8mm long with micropyle slightly protruding. Laid singly below the skin of host fruit.

Distribution

Native to most parts of Asia and now also found in East and West Africa, the Middle East and Hawaii.

Economic Host(s)

Cucurbit crops including melon (Cucumis), pumpkin (Cucurbita) and cucumber (Cucumis)

Symptoms/Signs

Larvae feed internally on flowers, fruits roots and stems of their hosts. Black or brown lesions can be signs of fruit feeding. Resinous deposits near puncture holes are often signs of female oviposition.

Generations:

Generations: Up to 10