Melanagromyza obtusa (Malloch)

Taxonomic position

Insecta: Diptera: Agromyzidae

Common names

Pod fly, bean pod fly, pigeonpea pod fly, tur pod fly

Habitat / Crop(s) damaged

Pigeonpea, cowpea, green gram, chickpea, Rhyncosia minima, etc. and Fleminga macrophylla, a plant used in lac production (Shanower et al., 1998). Pigeonpea is the primary host of this pest, though it is also reported as feeding on other legumes.

Typical damage symptoms in pigeonpea include pods with dark brown encrustations on the pod wall; holes of pinhead size in dry pods; and seeds inside striped, shrivelled and partially eaten.

Pest status

A common and major pest of pigeonpea all over India. Seed damage due to pod fly can vary from 2% to over 90% with large variation across locations, seasons, and genotypes (Shanower et al., 1998).

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