Mediterranean Fruit Fly or Medfly
What Does the Medfly Look Like?
The Medfly has a blackish thorax marked with silver, a tan abdomen with darker stripes and clear wings with light brown bands and gray flecks. It is slightly smaller than a house fly.
What Types of Plants Does the Medfly Infest?
The Medfly has been recorded infesting more than 300 cultivated and wild fruits, vegetables and nuts, including apple, avocado, bell pepper, citrus, melon, peach, plum and tomato.
What Kind of Damage Can the Medfly Cause?
The female Medfly attacks ripening fruit, piercing the soft skin and laying eggs in the puncture. The eggs hatch into larvae (maggots) that feed inside the fruit pulp and render the fruit inedible. As the larvae develop and feed on the pulp, the fruit decays and falls to the ground, thereby destroying the crop.
What Could That Damage Mean to California’s Economy?
A permanent Medfly infestation would result in estimated annual losses of $1.3 to $1.8 billion.
Are Quarantine and/or Eradication in Place for the Medfly?
Medfly quarantine is in effect in the Santa Monica area of Los Angeles County and the Escondido, Fallbrook and Imperial Beach areas of San Diego County. Eradication activities are underway in San Diego County. The most current eradication and quarantine projects can be viewed at www.aphis.usda.gov.
What Methods are used to Control the Medfly Population?
Three kinds of treatment are used alone or in combination to eradicate the Medfly: bait spray, the sterile insect technique (SIT) and/or directed insecticide applications.
What Can We Do?
Do not bring or mail fresh fruits, vegetables or plants into California unless agricultural inspectors have cleared them beforehand. Never remove fresh produce from your property when your area is under Medfly quarantine.
