Zeugodacus fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) host preference analysis by machine learning-based approaches

Aug 5, 2026

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Detecting host preference in highly polyphagous, economically important fruit fly pests supports species status clarification, orchard management, and fruit/vegetable trade decisions under quarantine constraints. A laboratory choice study compared oviposition preferences of Zeugodacus tau, Z. signata, and Z. cucurbitae among pumpkin, cucumber, and bitter gourd. Host and species inputs were modeled using ANN (MLP) and Random Forest, predicting oviposition outcomes alongside pupal traits and sex ratio. Machine learning improved prediction over statistical methods and suggested close relatedness for Z. tau and Z. signata.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Host preference in Tephritidae

Host selection factors

Case focus: Zeugodacus tau and Z. signata

Host preference knowledge gap

Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 222 (2024) 109095 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Computers and Electronics in Agriculture journal [homepage:](homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/compag)[ www.elsevier.com/locate/compag](homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/compag) | Original papers
Zeugodacus fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) host preference analysis by machine learning-based approaches | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Naila Nazira, Sehar Fatima b, Muhammad Aasim c, Faheem Yaqoob d, Khalid Mahmood a, Seyid Amjad Alie, Shahid Iqbal Awanf, Ihsan ul Haqb, *
a Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Poonch Rawalakot Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan
b Insect Pest Management Program, Institute of Plant and Environmental Protection, National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad, Pakistan
c Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technologies, Sivas University of Science and Technology, Sivas, Turkiye
d Department of Computer Science and Information Technology, Faculty of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Poonch Rawalakot Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan
e Department of Information Systems and Technologies, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkiye
f Department of Plant Breeding and Molecular Genetics, University of Poonch Rawalakot Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan | | | | | A R T I C L E I N F O | | A B S T R A C T | | | Keywords: Tephritids Host preference Pumpkin Bitter gourd Cucumber
Random Forest Model Machine learning | | Detecting the host preference of highly polyphagous and economically significant pest species of fruit flies (Diptera; Tephritidae) is important for identifying their species status, their management in orchards and the international trade of fruits and vegetables. In the current study, three fruit fly species Zeugodacus tau, Z. signata, and Z. cucrbitae,(Diptera: Tephritidae) were evaluated for their oviposition preference among three host fruits: pumpkin, cucumber, and bitter gourd. The investigation was conducted under choice conditions in the laboratory. Fruit fly species and host fruits were used as input/predictive variables whereas, oviposition preference, number of pupae, weight of pupae, adult emergence, and sex ratio were used as output/response variables to test the host preference through an Artificial Neural Network ANN/machine learning (ML) algorithms. ANN-based on a Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) model and decision tree-based Random Forest (RF) models were employed. Results revealed that Z. tau preferred pumpkin > cucumber > bitter gourd in order, Z. cucurbitae preferred bitter gourd > pumpkin > cucumber in order and Z. signata also preferred pumpkin but followed by bitter gourd and cucumber for oviposition. The specific host preferences observed in both Z. tau and Z. signata suggest that they may not be distinct species but rather closely related siblings. These findings highlight host preference as a marker for species delimitation. Moreover, the machine learning (ML) tools, provide better prediction in identifying host preference than statistical methods. These results are discussed in the context of the importance of studying host preferences for fruit flies’ species delimitation, their management, and international trade of fruits and vegetables. | | 1. Introduction Tropical fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) play a significant role as agricultural pests. They infest host plants by laying their eggs inside fruits and vegetables. The larvae undergo their development by consuming the flesh of these fruits (White et al., 1992). Fruit flies exhibit a wide range of host preferences, spanning from highly specific (monophagous, oligophagous) to more general (polyphagous) feeding habits. The ‘mother-knows-best’ hypothesis suggests that adult female fruit flies should choose fruits that offer the best chances of survival for their offspring (Fontellas-Brandalha and Zucoloto, 2004; Rigsby et al., 2014). Several factors

FAQs

Which fruit fly species and which host fruits were evaluated in the study?

The study evaluated Zeugodacus tau, Z. signata, and Z. cucurbitae using pumpkin, cucumber, and bitter gourd as host fruits.

How were host preference predictions modeled?

Host and fruit variables were used as inputs, while oviposition preference and pupal/adult outcomes were used as responses. The models included an ANN based on a Multi-Layer Perceptron and decision tree-based Random Forest.

What host preference patterns were reported for each Zeugodacus species?

Z. tau preferred pumpkin > cucumber > bitter gourd. Z. cucurbitae preferred bitter gourd > pumpkin > cucumber, and Z. signata preferred pumpkin first, followed by bitter gourd and cucumber.

Aug 5, 2026

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