Mexican Fruit Fly, Anastrepha ludens (Loew)

As its name implies, the Mexican fruit fly is from Mexico, but it does not stop at the border. Each year, populations of this pest fly into the fruit groves of the lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas. It also frequently threatens California. Government and the agricultural community also combine forces against the Mexican fruit fly.

The Mexican fruit fly is larger than a house fly. It has green eyes, transparent wings with "V" marks, and a yellowish-brown body with black specks.

The Mexican fruit fly destroys many types of fruit, including oranges, grapefruits, peaches, and pears. Female fruit flies lay their eggs in pieces of fruit. The eggs hatch into larvae (also called maggots). The maggots eat the flesh of the fruit, causing it to rot. These flies could cause billions of dollars' worth of damage if they became established in the United States. The scariest thing about these fruit flies is that you often can't see their damage until you bite into a piece of fruit...