Host Plants of Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) on the Island of Hawaii (1949-1985 Survey)

Extensive fruit collections were done between 1949 and 1985 on the island of Hawaii to determine the infestation biology of Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), in different fruit-bearing plants. The data base developed from this survey consists of 13,423 records (collections) with a total of 953,660 fruits collected. Of the 196 fruit species collected, 60 are Mediterranean fruit fly hosts under natural field conditions. The suitability of fruit species as Mediterranean fruit fly hosts was determined based on number of emerged adults per kg of infested fruits and percentage collections infested. At present, Jerusalem cherry, Solanum pseudocapsicum L., and coffee, Coffea Arabica L., are the two most important hosts of Mediterranean fruit fly on the island of Hawaii. We provide the first documented infestation data for 12 plant species that have long been recognized as potential hosts of Mediterranean fruit fly. We compare our results with previous and concurrent surveys conducted in the state of Hawaii and with published world host records. Finally, we examine the definition of a suitable host in the context of regulatory entomology and its relevance in understanding the infestation biology of Mediterranean fruit fly.