FRUIT FLIES AND THEIR ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE IN S. INDIA
-
Author:T. V. RAMAKRISHNA AYYAR
p-ISSN:0024-9602, e-ISSN:2582-5321, Vol:22, Issue:apr-apr
DOI: https://doi.org/10.29321/MAJ.10.A04860
Abstract
In a tract like South India where the benefits of a liberal use of
fruits in the daily dietary of our households has not yet been suffici-
ently appreciated as in many western countries, neither the cultivation
of fruit crops nor the study of the diseases and pests they are subject
to has received that serious attention which such problems deserve.
It is needless to add that fruit trees are as much subject to the atten-
tions of insect pests as are many of our staple food and other cultivated
crops and if one takes some little trouble to estimate the loss caused
by insect pests to our fruit trees, it will be found proportionately as
substantial as is the loss caused by pests of paddy, cotton and other
field crops. Among the various insect pests attacking fruit trees
those popularly known as "Fruit flies" occupy a very important status
in all the fruit growing areas of the world. In this province, though
we find different kinds of these fruit flies attacking various fruits and
damage to crops is generally realised, we have hardly any previous
records on the biological or economic aspects of South Indian fruit
flies excepting a few references of a taxonomic nature. In these days
of quick and easy transportation facilities between different parts of
the world.
Key words :