A Multifaceted Approach to Domestic Management of Invasive Fruit Flies in the United States

Tephritid fruit flies are among the most destructive pests to fruit and vegetable crops around the globe and are some of the pests of greatest phytosanitary concern to the United States. The United States federal government, in collaboration with international, state, tribal, and local governments, has a long-standing, national fruit fly program focused on protecting US agriculture by preventing the entry, establishment, and spread of exotic fruit flies to the United States. In this chapter, we outline the United States’ multifaceted strategy for managing multiple fruit fly species simultaneously by focusing on three main fruit fly quarantine pests: Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly, Ceratitis capitata), Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly, Anastrepha ludens), and Oriental fruit fly (OFF, Bactrocera dorsalis). While there are general principles that are applied throughout the United States’ fruit fly program regardless of the species, modifications to specific program areas are necessary because the fruit fly species differ in their biology, susceptible hosts, available attractants, detection tools, and treatments. In this chapter, we present commonalities and differences in exclusion, trapping and detection, management and eradication, and regulatory aspects of preventing the entry and establishment of these three target fruit flies.