First report of Dacus ciliatus in Tunisia
During a trapping survey conducted between June 2020 and August 2020 in Takelsa (Nabeul Governorate, Northern Tunisia), the fruit fly Dacus ciliatus (Diptera: Tephritidae – EPPO A2 List) was found for the first time in Tunisia. Traps had been set in courgette (Cucurbita pepo) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus) fields. The identity of the pest was confirmed by morphological identification.
In a separate survey conducted from 2020 to 2022 in four governorates in southern Tunisia, D. ciliatus was reported in fields of cucurbit crops, including snake cucumber (Cucumis melo var. flexuosus), the first record of D. ciliatus on this host, courgette and pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo), melon (Cucumis melo), wild gourd (Citrullus colocynthis), cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) (Ben Othmen et al., 2025).
The situation of Dacus ciliatus in Tunisia can be described as: Present.
During the survey for the presence of D. ciliatus, Dacus frontalis (Diptera: Tephritidae, EU A1 Quarantine Pest as Dacus spp.) was also reported for the first time on new hosts, including snake cucumber (Cucumis melo var. flexuosus), wild gourd (Citrullus colocynthis), cucumber (Cucumis sativus), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) and aubergine (Solanum melongena) (Ben Othmen et al., 2025).
Sources
Ben Othmen A, Ben Belgacem A, Bel-Kadhi MS, Nagaz K, Braham M (2025) The invasive cucurbit fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae), Dacus frontalis Becker and Dacus ciliatus Loew in southern Tunisia: preliminary data on distribution, hosts and infestation. Euro-Mediterranean Journal for Environmental Integration
Ghalleb Y, Cherif A, Grissa-Lebdi K (2023) Efficacy of food attractants and attract-and-kill system to control Dacus ciliatus (Loew) (Tephritidae: Diptera): new recorded pest in northern Tunisia. Journal of the Entomological Research Society25(2), 267–274 https://doi.org/10.51963/jers.2023.85