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This oriental fruit fly was detected in Hyères, a first in the PACA region

It has been a few days since she was located. The oriental fly “Bactrocera dorsalis” was detected in Hyères on August 5th. This is a first in the Provence-Alpes-Côtes-d’Azur region.

The PACA region was already too familiar with the tiger mosquito, the Asian hornet, but also the Xylella fastidiosa which attacks olive trees …

… Here is Bactrocera dorsalis, the oriental fruit fly! This species, native to Southeast Asia, has spread since the early 2000s to the west, the Middle East and almost all of Africa. A trapping network in order to detect B. dorsalis early on revealed the presence of 5 adult insects in a trap located in Hyères on August 5. This is the first detection in PACA.

Intercepted on numerous occasions over the past fifteen years at a border checkpoint, it was first reported in orchards in Europe, in Italy in 2018 and in France in 2019 (Paris region and Occitanie).

Its cute peach

Bacterrocera dorsalis can attack several hundred species of cultivated and wild plants. The cultivated plants concerned are mainly fruit crops:

especially peach, mango, banana, fig…), citrus fruits (lemon, orange…) but also vegetables (tomato, pepper, melon, squash…). We can better understand his taste for the Paca region.

The damage is caused by the larvae which develop in fruits and vegetables, rendering the products unsuitable for marketing.

  • See his fact sheet online to recognize it. But due to its size and coloring, the adult cannot be confused with other fruit flies present in France or in Europe.

The right gestures to fight

The primary goal is to avoid their introduction while respecting the rules at the entrance to the European phytosanitary area. Whether from Third Countries or the DROM, it is forbidden to bring fresh fruit or vegetables in your luggage. Forget the urge to grow a vacation souvenir in your backyard.

> For farmers: In cultivation, do not let the fruits rot on trees or on the ground so as to prevent the maggot cycle from unfolding, put them in closed garbage bags for 15 days before composting. For farmers, it is recommended to set up cultivation techniques that contribute to destroying crops that have fallen to the ground (tillage, rotary mulching, etc.), to set up insect-proof nets on the various plants in cultivation, if possible, to avoid over-ripe harvesting, methanization, or even incineration of waste.

> For professionals in the fresh fruit and vegetable trade: it is recommended to install insect traps near the entry and exit points of goods, do not compost waste and unsold fruits and vegetables, especially exotic ones, and close the garbage bags.

To declare your presence online, a form.

Research, particularly in INRAE ​​laboratories today are working on the tsterile insect technique regarding this flies and others. Techniques developed atSophia Agrobiotech Institute (ISA) in the Alpes-Maritimes and the Montpellier CBGP.

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