Current status of and future needs for fruit fly research in Tanzania

Fruit flies have been recorded in Tanzania from the 19th century onwards. A number of researchers with different interests have been working on fruit flies since then. Despite these studies, little is known on the status of fruit fly pests in terms of species composition in the country, damage inflicted upon crops, bionomics and population dynamics, as well as host range. These parameters are prerequisites for formulating any Integrated Pest Management (IPM) of fruit fly pests. This paper reviews the status of fruit fly research in Tanzania, by reporting some of the findings of previous researchers while putting emphasis on what has to be done.