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Adult
Specimens should be carefully examined for the wing pattern.
Diagnostic features of the genus are as follows (characters extracted from key to North American genera of Tephritidae by Foote et al., 1993): Head with two pairs orbital setae;posterior pair reclinate. Gena with only short anterior setae. First flagellomere (third antennal segment) at least slightly pointed at the apex. Thorax with dorsocentral setae closer to level of anterior supra-alar setae than transverse suture. Scutellum not swollen or shiny. Wing with cells bm and bcu of similar depth;bcu with a short acute extension. Crossvein R-M near middle of cell dm.
This species may be identified using the Diptera key in the Crop Protection Compendium taxonomic identification aid. For full details of its separation from other North American species, see Foote et al. (1993).
The main features of the R. cingulata species complex (which also includes R. indifferens) are as follows: thorax and abdomen predominantly black. Scutellum base black. Apical band of wing forked, or upper arm of fork separated by clear area, leaving isolated dark spot at wing-tip.
In general, R. cingulata and R. indifferens are most easily separated by their location, with R. cingulata being eastern North American and R. indifferens being western North American, but there is a slight overlap in the distributions (see Distribution Section). In general, R. cingulata differs from R. indifferens as follows: R. cingulata has fore coxa yellow, anterior apical crossband on wing often reduced to an isolated spot (the stipple in the drawing shows possible joined condition);R. indifferens has fore coxa shaded black on posterior surface, anterior apical crossband rarely reduced to an isolated spot. See also Carroll et al. (2002).
Larva
Diagnosis of genus by Elson-Harris (White and Elson-Harris, 1994): Antennal sensory organ with a short basal segment and cone-shaped distal segment;maxillary sensory organ flat, with well defined sensilla surrounded by small cuticular folds;stomal sensory organ rounded, with a peg-like sensilla;large, preoral teeth near base of stomal sensory organ;no preoral lobes;oral ridges in 5-13 short, unserrated rows;no accessory plates. Stout spinules forming discontinuous rows on almost all segments. Anterior spiracles with 7-35 stout tubules. Posterior spiracular slits 3-8 times as long as broad, with 3-16 short, branched spiracular hairs. Anal lobes large, protuberant with well defined tubercles and sensilla.
An updated description of the larva of this species can be found in Carroll et al. (2004). Any Rhagoletis larvae found in cherry and having the following feature is likely to be this species: at least 21 tubules in each anterior spiracle. See the key to larvae in White and Elson-Harris (1994), which used a combination of host and fragmentary morphological data.

Recoginition


Traps have been developed which capture both sexes, based on visual, or visual plus odour, attraction. They are coated in sticky material and are usually either flat-surfaced and coloured fluorescent yellow to elicit a supernormal foliage response (see Reissig, 1976), or spherical and dark-coloured to represent a fruit (see Prokopy, 1977);traps which combine both foliage and fruit attraction can also be used. The odour comes from protein hydrolysate or other substances emitting ammonia, such as ammonium acetate. See Boller and Prokopy (1976), Economopoulos (1989) and Liburd et al. (2001) for a discussion of these traps and Pelz-Stelinski et al. (2006a) for positioning of the traps. Burditt (1988) has evaluated different traps for catching R. indifferens in British Columbia, Canada.

Related invasive species

  • Rhagoletis cingulata

Related Farm Practice

  • Identification
  • Diagnosis
  • Pests
  • Protection
  • Soil
  • Hosts
Impact

R. cingulata (listed on EPPO A2 list) is a severe pest of cherries. It is closely connected to its host plants Prunus avium, P. cerasi, P. serotina, P. mahaleb and P. emarginata. Prunus mahaleb is native in warm locations of Southern and Central Europe. It is used as rootstock for tart cherries and as ornamental plant. In Germany R. cingulata appears 3-4 weeks later than the native species R. cerasi, and due to this attacks late cherry varieties, mainly tart cherries, e.g. the economic important variety “Schattenmorellen”. This has been proven by fruit samples, from which pupae were obtained and in the following year R. cingulata adults emerged (species confirmed by Dr. Allen Norrbom, Systematic Entomology Laboratory, USDA). Infestation levels in tart cherries amounted to more than 20%.

Has Cabi datasheet ID
47051
Symptons


Attacked fruit will be pitted by oviposition punctures, around which some discoloration usually occurs. Infested fruits appear normal until the maggot is nearly full-grown, at which time sunken spots appear. Maggots and their frass inside the cherry render the fruit unsalable. Infested fruits are more susceptible to fungi. The third larval instar forms one to three holes (about 1 mm in diameter) through the skin of the cherry, before it leaves it for pupation in the soil (Frick et al., 1954).

Hosts

R. cingulata attacks cherries (Prunus species). It is a pest of P. cerasus and P. avium (Bush, 1966), and P. serotina is the main native host (Foote et al., 1993).

Oss tagged
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