Fruit flies

Tephritid fruit flies cause significant damage to fruit and vegetable crops across the world and restrict the trade of fruit between markets.

The Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) or medfly is one of the world’s most destructive agricultural pests. The female medfly injects her eggs into ripening fruit so that the larvae can feed on the soft pulp. Bacteria and fungi enter through the hole and cause the fruit to rot. The medfly has spread to almost all tropical and subtropical areas of the world and infests over 200 plant types. SIT programmes have been used to successfully eradicate medfly from the USA, Chile, Mexico and Patagonia. To prevent re-establishment in the USA, the USDA releases sterile male medfly over California and Florida year-round and supports MOSCAMED, a cooperative program to control medfly in Mexico and Guatemala. The El Pino medfly production facility in Guatemala produces over two billion sterile male flies per week to support these programs. Other facilities are located in Hawaii, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Spain and Israel.

The Mexican fruit fly (Anastrepha ludens) or mexfly is an important agricultural pest in Mexico, parts of Central America and the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, where it readily attacks more than 50 fruit types including citrus, mango and avocado. USDA APHIS and the Mexican government cooperate in a program to suppress Mexican fruit fly and prevent its spread. Activities include monitoring traps, releasing sterile flies, checking fruit at road stations, treating fruit imports and regulating fruit shipments from quarantined areas. Sterile mexfly are produced at facilities in Texas in USA, Metapa in Mexico and in Guatemala.

Other fruit flies also cause significant damage to different produce crops including the olive fly (Bactrocera oleae), Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis), the melon fly (Bactrocera cucurbitae) and the South American fruit fly (Anastrepha fraterculus) and the emerging African problem Bactrocera invadens.