Lesser bulb fly

Eumerus figurans is a dipteran insect belonging to the Syrphidae family. Known as a species of lesser bulb fly, it acts as a significant agricultural pest that targets various bulbous crops, causing extensive damage to bulbs and reducing overall marketable yield.

The primary hosts for this pest include onion, garlic, shallots, and various ornamental bulbous plants. The larvae bore into the bulbs, feeding on the fleshy scales, which often leads to the total destruction of the interior structure and predisposes the plant to secondary pathogens and rot.

The life cycle typically involves multiple generations per season, depending on environmental conditions and climate. The larvae overwinter within the host bulbs left in the soil or in storage facilities. Adults emerge in spring to mate and oviposit near the base of susceptible host plants.

Damage assessment typically reveals wilting leaves, yellowing foliage, and a characteristic softening of the bulb base. Infested bulbs often display numerous small larvae upon dissection, and the plant's growth is severely stunted or ceases entirely if the damage reaches the central bud.

Effective management requires an integrated pest management approach. Key practices include:

• Crop rotation to break the pest's life cycle.
• Selection of healthy, certified planting material.
• Deep autumn plowing to disturb overwintering sites.
• Targeted chemical application against adults during the peak flight season.
• Prompt sanitation by removing and destroying infested bulbs to prevent re-infestation.