Mexican Fruit FlyMexican Fruit FlyAnastrepha ludensAnastrepha ludens

Created By: Mitali GuptaCreated By: Mitali Gupta

Common Name : Mexfly Scientific Name : Anastrepha ludens

Kingdom : Animalia Phylum : Anthropoda

Class : Insecta

From: Mexico and Central AmericaFound in Rio Grande Valley in Texas,

California, Florida and ArizonaAnnually migrates into southern TexasMay be introduced to other areas

through movement of infested fruit

Agricultural inspectors use traps to detect flies

Farmers use pesticides to keep free of fly maggots

Consequences for People

•Farmer’s homegrown produce would look poor

•Many foods would drop and rot on the ground

•Fruits and Vegetables would be very expensive to grow.

•Consumers (us) would have to pay more for produce

Mexican fruit flies destroy fruits and vegetables which then they lay eggs in the fresh flesh of the food.

Food Web

Bats Humans Mexican Fruit Fly

Fruits (oranges, avocados,

grapefruit)

Frogs Animals

Why So Successful?Fruit flies are attracted by the smell of

the fruitsThey lay maggots in the fruit which

increases the populationNew flies help find the same kinds of

fruits againThe fruit flies reproduce 500 eggs at a

time

Issues for the FutureIssues for the FutureControl Growth

Clean orchards or leftover fruit after harvest After harvest results to migration to non-cultivate areas with non-cultivated fruits

Trade-Offs With clean orchards = Decrease in population

Without clean orchards = Damage to many produce

entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/fruit/.../mexican_fruit_fly.htm

www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/pdep/.../mexican_ff_profile.html

www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/pubs/invasive/1mexff.html

www.invasive.org/species/subject.cfm?sub=4932

http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/animals/mexfly.shtml