''Zeugodacus tau'' ( syn. ''Bactrocera tau''), the pumpkin fruit fly or the tau fruit fly, is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of fruit fly in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Tephritidae The Tephritidae are one of two fly families referred to as fruit flies, the other family being the Drosophilidae. The family Tephritidae does not include the biological model organisms of the genus '' Drosophila'' (in the family Drosophilidae ...

. The species is native to tropical and subtropical Asia. It is a major pest species of melons and other

cucurbits The Cucurbitaceae (), also called cucurbits or the gourd family, are a plant family consisting of about 965 species in 101 genera.

. In 2023 the tau fruit fly was found in California. In response, the

California Department of Food and Agriculture The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is a Cabinet (government), cabinet-level agency in the government of California. Established in 1919 by the California State Legislature and signed into law by Governor William Stephens (Am ...

imposed a quarantine on a portion of

Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles and sometimes abbreviated as LA County, is the most populous county in the United States, with 9,663,345 residents estimated in 2023. Its population is greater than that of 40 individua ...

References

Dacinae Diptera of Asia Agricultural pest insects Taxa named by Francis Walker (entomologist) Insects described in 1849 {{Dacinae-stub