Apple maggot

Apple fruit fly ( Rhagoletis pomonella )

The apple fruit fly ( Rhagoletis pomonella ) is a beheimatetes in North America and insect closely related to the native cherry fruit fly ( Rhagoletis cerasi ). Animals of this species of fly can not be imported to Germany in order to protect the domestic fruit growing.

Adult animals are slightly smaller than the housefly, have black body and belly black and white stripes. Their wings carry unique black stripes.

The animals lay eggs in the summer on immature hawthorn fruits, rose hips or apples, from which, after five to ten days, the larvae hatch. The larvae live in the green fruits until they are ripe and fall to the ground. Then the larvae migrate to pupate in the soil. From the pupae hatch the following spring the imagos of the apple fruit. But there are always a few animals that do not hatch until the following year.

Apple fruit flies are attacked as apple pest.

Synonyms

• Trypeta albiscutellata Harris, 1835
• Trypeta pomonella Walsh, 1867

Credentials

• Fruit flies
• Arboriculture