Bactrocera tryoni

Taxobox
name = "Queensland fruit fly"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
subphylum = Hexapoda
classis = Insecta
subclassis = Pterygota
infraclassis = Neoptera
superordo = Endopterygota|
ordo = Diptera
subordo = Brachycera
infraordo = Muscomorpha
zoosectio = Schizophora
zoosubsectio = Acalyptratae
superfamilia = Tephritoidea
familia = Tephritidae
subfamilia = Dacinae
tribus = Dacini
genus = "Bactrocera"
species = "B. tryoni"
binomial = "Bactrocera tryoni"
binomial_authority = (Froggatt, 1897)
synonyms =*"Tephritis tryoni"
*"Chaetodacus tryoni var. sarcocephali"
*"Chaetodacus tryoni var. juglandis"

Bactrocera tryoni is a species known as the Queensland fruit fly. "Bactrocera" is a genus of a kind of small flies. It is native to Australia.

Its size is similar to "Drosophila melanogaster", (which belongs to a different family, the Drosophilidae), about 5 to 8 mm in length in adult stage. However, it has quite some distinctive phenotypical characteristics to "Drosophila", for example its body colour. The Queensland fruit flies have been known for its damage to the farming industry and have gone through scientific research often by Australian scientists.

The "white" gene

One gene present in the genome of "B. tryoni" is the "white" gene. Its sequence on "Bactrocera tryoni" is completely homologous (the same), to the "white" gene found in "Drosophila" DNA. When this gene is mutated in "D. melanogaster", it makes the eyes of that fly to become white. However, when this gene is mutated in "B. tryoni" the eye colour of that Queensland fruit fly remains unchanged to the wild type. The exact function of this gene in both "Drosophila" and "B. tryoni" is still undergoing research.Fact|date=February 2007

References

* [http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/fruit/tropical/queensland_fruit_fly.htm University of Florida Description]

Further reading

*Courtice, A. C. (2006). Of Peaches and Maggots, The Story of Queensland Fruit Fly. Published by Hillside Books (www.hillsidebooks.com). Keywords: History of Entomology; history of Tephritidae - pest species; origin of Tephritidae - pest species; history of Queensland fruit fly; History of Dacus tryoni; History of Mediterranean fruit fly, Med fly; history of Ceratitis capitata; history of Oriental fruit fly; history of Dacus dorsalis; history of Melon fly; history of Dacus cucurbitae.