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• White Striped Fruit Fly

White Striped Fruit Fly

What Does the White Striped Fruit Fly Look Like?
The adult white striped fruit fly resembles the Oriental fruit fly, but has a different wing pattern and coloration pattern on the thorax and abdomen. The body has a dark stripe down the middle, flanked by two broader stripes on the sides, with yellow coloring and a dark triangle mark on the thorax. The wing has a brown mark along the front edge that becomes faint at mid-length and reappears as a light spot at the wing tip. The wings also have two brown stripes, one at the base and one at mid-wing. The larvae are legless and may range in color from white to yellowish-white, and grow to a length of 0.4 or 2/5 inches within the host fruit.

When was the White Striped Fruit Fly First Found in California?
The white striped fruit fly is new to the United States and was first confirmed in California in July 2009 – the first confirmed in the Western Hemisphere.

Where is the White Striped Fruit Fly Currently Found in California?
The white striped fruit fly is currently found in the residential communities of La Verne, San Dimas and Pomona in Los Angeles County.

What Types of Plants Does the White Striped Fruit Fly Infest?
The white striped fruit fly's preferred host plants, such as mango, carambola and guava, are not common in California but it is known to adapt and favor other plant hosts. The flies were detected in peach, lemon, nectarine, ornamental plum, calomondin/kumquat and sapote plantings.

What Kind of Damage Can the White Striped Fruit Fly Cause?
The white striped fruit fly causes damage by infesting fruit with eggs, which hatch into larvae (maggots) and tunnel through the fruit, making it unfit for human consumption.

What Could That Damage Mean to the Economy?
The extent of the damage to California’s economy that could be caused by white striped fruit fly is not yet known – mainly because the fly's preferred hosts are not commonly grown in California, or are grown in small numbers. However, the white striped fruit fly is known to adapt and favor other plant hosts and is considered an economic pest of considerable importance in other countries. Because of the possibility of rapid population growth and availability of many potential hosts, similar impacts would likely be felt in California.

Are Quarantine and/or Eradication in Place for the White Striped Fruit Fly?
The white striped fruit fly is currently found in the residential communities of La Verne, San Dimas and Pomona in Los Angeles County. The most current quarantine map can be viewed at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/fruit_flies/
downloads/CA_WSFFly_Quar_LA_090804.pdf.

What Methods are Used to Control the White Striped Fruit Fly Population?
Detection, survey and eradication campaigns are conducted when an infestation is detected. The proposed eradication treatment is based on previous experience with fruit fly outbreaks in California and includes mass trapping with the use of removable bait stations, along with supplemental ground-level spraying of potential host plants. Fruit stripping may also occur in areas where mated females or larval infestations are found.

What Can We Do?
Do not bring or mail fresh fruits, vegetables, plants or soil into California unless agricultural inspectors have cleared them. Never remove fresh produce from your property when your area is under white striped fruit fly quarantine.