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Types of Fruit Flies

Fruit fly is the common name for small flies that feed off fruit as larvae and adults and are classified in the families Tephritidae and Drosophilidae. Members of Tephritidae typically have wide heads with black, green or blue bodies. Drosophilidae flies tend to be yellowish in color. Depending on their stage of development and their species, fruit flies either eat the fruit or the yeast of the fruit. There are more than 1,000 species, including Mediterranean, Caribbean, Mexican and olive fruit flies.

Mediterranean Fruit Fly
- The Mediterranean fruit fly, or Ceratitis capitata, is native to Saharan Africa and was first noted in the United States through infestations in Florida, Texas and California. Mediterranean fruit flies were established in Hawaii in 1907, prior to it becoming a U.S. state.
  
  Experts rank these flies as the most destructive species of pest, in part due to their wide distribution, ability to thrive in harsher conditions than other species, rapid development and the massive size of their swarms. Even though they are more of a threat to short-lived and thin-skinned fruits, such as peaches and apples, they feed off more than 260 kinds of fruits, vegetables, flowers and nuts. Mediterranean fruit flies are considered to be major citrus pests.
Carribean Fruit Fly
- The Caribbean fruit fly, or Anastrepha suspensa, is also known as the Caribfly, Greater Antilliean fruit fly and guava fruit fly. It is indigenous to the West Indies and was introduced to the U.S. by way of Florida. Caribbean fruit flies feed off a variety of subtropical and tropical fruits, particularly guavas, Surinam cherries and rose apples. This relative of the Mexican fruit fly generally only attacks overripe citrus fruit.
Mexican Fruit Fly
- The Mexican fruit fly, or Anastrepha ludens, is a native of Mexico and most of Central America, where it is most prevalent. However, it also frequently attacks crops in Arizona and southern California. Because of their affinity toward grapefruit, Mexican fruit flies pose serious threats to Florida, one the world's largest producers of grapefruit. As of 2011, only a few instances of live larvae have been found in Florida and even rarer occurrences of adult flies. In addition to grapefruit, they also have a preference for mangoes, but they also feed off a variety of citrus and other fruit.
Olive Fruit Fly
- The olive fruit fly, or Bactrocerae oleae, is widespread in Mediterranean basin areas such as southern Europe, the Middle East and many parts of Africa. They were introduced to the U. S. through Mexico and are now abundant in California. Even though the adults feed on honey dew, nectar and other sources of semi-liquid fruit or fruit products, the larvae exclusively feed on olives.

Insects & Science