Management of Economically Important Native and Exotic Fruit Fly (Tephritidae) Species in Mexico

Fruit fly (Tephritidae) control/management has a long history in Mexico that spans from the beginning of the nineteenth century to date. In several ways, Mexico can be considered a worldwide pioneer in many areas of fruit fly research and management. We first review the interesting past, highlighting the work of pioneers such as A.L. Herrera and then the more recent history, including the building of the, at the time, largest Ceratitis capitata mass-rearing facility in the world, as part of a Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) program. The other mass-rearing facility producing Anastrepha ludens, A. obliqua, and Diachasmimorpha longicaudata is also described, including details on the mass rearing processes. We also dwell on the Mexican National Campaign against fruit flies, a nationwide effort at controlling/managing native and exotic pestiferous fruit flies and touch on biorational management proposals developed in Mexico encompassing SIT, area-wide management, low prevalence, and fruit fly free areas, mass trapping, bait stations, biological control, host marking pheromones (HMPs), and orchard design for management and biodiversity conservation purposes. We end by reviewing post-harvest treatments and recent scientific developments in areas such as Anastrepha microbiota, proteomics of the antenna, fruit fly-host plant relationships/host resistance mechanisms to fly attack, and fly nutrition/rearing.