Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of Female Mediterranean fruit fly head (Ceratitis capitata). Ceratitis capitata, called the Mediterranean fruit fly, is from the family Tephritidae. This fruit fly is the world's most destructive fruit pest. It is native to the Mediterranean regions, but has spread invasively to many parts of the world. Although it may be a major pest of citrus, it is often a more serious pest of some deciduous fruits, such as peach, pear, and apple. The larvae feed upon the pulp of host fruits, sometimes tunnelling through it and eventually reducing the fruit to a juicy, inedible mass. Magnification: x7 when shortest axis printed at 25 millimetres. |