Dacus frontalis (Diptera: Tephritidae, EU A1 Quarantine Pest as Dacus spp.) is an important pest of cucurbit fruits in many parts of Africa and the Middle East. It was first recorded in Tunisia in 2014 (EPPO RS 2015/137), and more recently in Algeria and Morocco. In Algeria, it was reported to cause severe damage in Cucumis melo and Cucurbita pepo crops in North-Western Algeria, which is an arid area. In Morocco, it was found in the Souss-Massa-Draa region. No data is available on its pest status.

In a recent article Hafsi et al. (2024), note that D. frontalis is likely to further invade other areas in the Mediterranean Basin and Europe as the minimum temperature threshold of this species is lower than that of Ceratitis capitata which has spread to many European countries.