) RECENT OBSERVATION ON FRUIT FLIES OF COFFEE AND THEIR INVESTATION OF OTHER ECONOMIC HORTICULTURAL TREE CROPS IN NIGERIA.

A survey was conducted in some coffee producing areas of Kogi, Plateau, Ogun, and Oyo States of Nigeria in 2006. The objective of the study was to identify coffee fruit flies and their alternative host in most cultivated fruit trees in Nigeria. Citrus , mango and guava were specially earmarked as alternative host for elaborate investigation. Ten coffee plants were sampled at random per site, and coffee berries (Coffea robusta and C. Arabica) were collected where present. Similarly fruits of citrus, mango and guava were collected in all the coffee belts visited. Fruit fly cultures were established in the laboratory the National Horticultural Research Institute from the collected coffee berries and fruit of citrus, mango and guava. Fruit flies emerging from fruit Cultures were dominated by Trirthithrum coffeae. Other identified species included T.nigerrinum, Ceratitis capitata and C.rosa. Trirthithrum species were not observed in citrus, mango and guava. Ceratitis rosa was only observed in coffee collected from one site in Kabba in Kogi. Ceratitis capitata was recorded on citrus and mango. However, occurrence and abundance was very low. No fruit fly was isolated in ararbica coffee collected only from Jos in Plateau State. The major fruit fly consistently isolated from citrus, mango and guava was Bactrocera invadens. The study implicates C. capitata as a pest of all fruit species investigated, while B. invadens was not associated with coffee.
A survey was conducted in some coffee producing areas of Kogi, Plateau, Ogun, and Oyo States of Nigeria in 2006. The objective of the study was to identify coffee fruit flies and their alternative host in most cultivated fruit trees in Nigeria. Citrus , mango and guava were specially earmarked as alternative host for elaborate investigation. Ten coffee plants were sampled at random per site, and coffee berries (Coffea robusta and C. Arabica) were collected where present. Similarly fruits of citrus, mango and guava were collected in all the coffee belts visited. Fruit fly cultures were established in the laboratory the National Horticultural Research Institute from the collected coffee berries and fruit of citrus, mango and guava. Fruit flies emerging from fruit Cultures were dominated by Trirthithrum coffeae. Other identified species included T.nigerrinum, Ceratitis capitata and C.rosa. Trirthithrum species were not observed in citrus, mango and guava. Ceratitis rosa was only observed in coffee collected from one site in Kabba in Kogi. Ceratitis capitata was recorded on citrus and mango. However, occurrence and abundance was very low. No fruit fly was isolated in ararbica coffee collected only from Jos in Plateau State. The major fruit fly consistently isolated from citrus, mango and guava was Bactrocera invadens. The study implicates C. capitata as a pest of all fruit species investigated, while B. invadens was not associated with coffee.