MEDITERRANEAN FRUIT FLY - CERATITIS CAPITATA

Abstract

Globally, many species of insects belonging to the family Tephritidae, also known as fruit flies, feed phytophagously on natural and cultivated jujube agrocenoses. These flies are medium-sized insects (4.5–5.5 mm) with wings that have a shiny border on their lower half. The adult flies (imagos) feed on the nectar of compound flowering plants, while the larvae feed on the fleshy parts of fruits. Some species also feed by creating mines in leaves. There are more than 4,500 species of these flies, some of which cause significant damage to plants. For instance, in the U.S. state of Florida, it has been identified that fruit flies damage more than 400 types of plants