The Bactrocera dorsalis complex includes many species of agricultural pests,among which B.dorsalis s.s.,B.carambolae,B.papayae and B.philippinensis(generally included in B.dorsalis s.l.),and B.invadens.The group apparently radiated in South-East Asia,and different species expanded their range in the last few decades to include large areas in China,the Pacific and Africa.Despite formal taxonomy,that regards these as independent species,their status is still controversial due to their high molecular and morphological similarity,and some authors have considered the possibility that these may in fact be geographical variants and invasive propagules of a single widely distribute species.Samples of all five species were collected from their native range as well as invasion areas,and three sequence markers(mitochondrial COI and nuclear ITS1 and ITS2)were used to reconstruct their evolutionary history using gene as well as species trees,and focusing on the relationships among groups,demography and dating.Our results are compatible with a single species scenario,with a pristine radiation in South-East Asia and subsequent events of diversification and colonization of new areas in Asia and Africa associated with large population numbers.Furthermore,African B.invadens are recovered as an integral part of B.dorsalis s.s.and are characterized by reduced population numbers,suggestive of a long range expansion with associated drift.In this context,B.invadens may be better regarded as an invasive propagule of B.dorsalis.