First report of the pepper fruit fly Atherigona orientalis in Greece
Atherigona orientalis (Diptera: Muscidae) is a cosmopolitan tropical fly which is primarily associated with decomposing fruits and vegetables, as well as vertebrate and invertebrate carrion and manure. In some countries, it was quite recently reported as a primary pest of some crops, in particular of Capsicum spp. A. orientalis was first reported in Greece causing damage on capsicum crops in commercial greenhouses in two municipality of Kriti in spring 2022. Larvae feed inside the young pepper fruit, resulting in tissue degradation, followed by an external colour change, tissue softening, detachment of the external epidermis and loss of vigour. Although the presence of A. orientalis had been reported in some EPPO member countries on carrion, this is the first report of this species as a plant pest for the EPPO region.
Sources
Roditakis E, Kremi K, Mylona K, Georgousis V, Avtzis DN, Simoglou KB (2023) First report of the pepper fruit fly Atherigona orientalis (Schiner 1968)(Diptera: Muscidae) infesting commercial pepper crops in Greece. Insects 14(4), 393. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14040393