First Morphological Analysis of Antennal and Maxillary Palpi Sensilla in Two Polyphagous Zeugodacus Species From Southern West Bengal, India

Fruit flies, belonging to the genus Zeugodacus (Insecta: Diptera: Tephritidae), are agricultural nuisances due to their ability to inflict widespread harm on fruit and vegetable crops worldwide. They possess remarkably sensitive antennae and maxillary palpi equipped with specialised sensilla that regulate their olfactory perception and suitable host fruit selection for feeding and oviposition. For the present study, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett, 1899) and Zeugodacus tau (Walker, 1849) were collected from various host plants across southern parts of West Bengal, India. Their antennae and maxillary palpi were examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Seven types of sensilla were identified in antennae, and four types of sensilla were observed on the maxillary palpi. Based on review of available literature, our study is the first report from India examining the morphology of antennae and maxillary palpi in these two highly polyphagous pest species within the genus Zeugodacus . The study found significant differences in the length of antennae between males and females, with females having longer antennae ( p 0.0181 and 0.0148 for Z. cucurbitae and Z. tau , respectively). Maxillary palpi were found to be longer and larger in males in both species, and the sex‐specific difference was statistically significant for Z. cucurbitae . Our study contributes foundational knowledge on the sensory biology of two Zeugodacus species—Z. cucurbitae and Z. tau . The findings are important for understanding the sensory (olfactory) mechanisms of the agricultural pests that might play a vital role in developing olfaction‐based targeted pest management strategies, potentially reducing the dependence on chemical pesticides and thereby promoting biodiversity conservation efforts by adapting sustainable agricultural practices.