Mediterranean fruit fly

Mediterranean fruit fly
Mediterranean fruit fly Med`i*ter*ra"ne*an fruit" fly, n. A small two-winged fly ({Ceratitis capitata}), a native of the Mediterranean countries but now widely distributed in warm regions, which can cause great damage to citrus and other succulent fruit crops when present in large numbers. It is black and white and irregularly banded. It lays eggs in ripening oranges, peaches, and other fruits; when the eggs hatch into larvae (maggots) inside the fruit, they cause the fruit to decay and fall, and make the fruit unsaleable. It is also popularly called the {medfly}.

Note: The possibility of infestation by this and other crop pests has caused some states such as California, where fruit is a major export, to ban the importation of fruit from other regions. Outbreaks of infestation with the medfly have caused California to mobilize major eradication campaigns and have been the subject of political faultfinding. The eradication tactic, of releasing sterile males to break the reproductive cycle, has been used to deal with outbreaks of the medfly. [PJC]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Mediterranean fruit fly — n. a small, gall forming, two winged fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) whose larvae infest and feed on many kinds of crops, esp. on citrus fruits …   English World dictionary

  • Mediterranean fruit fly — см. Приложение 1 (Ceratitis capitata). (Источник: «Англо русский толковый словарь генетических терминов». Арефьев В.А., Лисовенко Л.А., Москва: Изд во ВНИРО, 1995 г.) …   Молекулярная биология и генетика. Толковый словарь.

  • Mediterranean fruit fly — Mediterranean fruit fly. См. средиземноморская плодовая мушка. (Источник: «Англо русский толковый словарь генетических терминов». Арефьев В.А., Лисовенко Л.А., Москва: Изд во ВНИРО, 1995 г.) …   Молекулярная биология и генетика. Толковый словарь.

  • Mediterranean fruit fly — a small, black and white, irregularly banded two winged fly, Ceratitis capitata, of many warm regions, that damages citrus and other succulent fruit crops by implanting eggs that hatch into maggots within the fruit. Also called medfly, Medfly.… …   Universalium

  • Mediterranean fruit fly — noun small black and white fly that damages citrus and other fruits by implanting eggs that hatch inside the fruit • Syn: ↑medfly, ↑Ceratitis capitata • Hypernyms: ↑fruit fly, ↑pomace fly • Member Holonyms: ↑Ceratitis, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • Mediterranean fruit fly — Med′iterra′nean fruit′ fly n. ent a small, black and white banded, two winged fly, Ceratitis capitata, of many warm regions that implants eggs that hatch into maggots within ripening fruit Also called medfly …   From formal English to slang

  • Mediterranean fruit fly — noun A type of fruit fly capable of wreaking extensive damage, taxonomic name Ceratitis capitata. Syn: medfly …   Wiktionary

  • Mediterranean fruit fly — noun Date: 1899 a small widely distributed yellowish brown dipteran fly (Ceratitis capitata) with a banded abdomen whose larva lives and feeds in ripening fruit called also medfly …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • fruit fly — 1. any of numerous small dipterous insects of the family Tephritidae, the larvae of which feed on the fruit of various plants. 2. See vinegar fly. 3. drosophila. [1745 55] * * * Any dipteran species of two families: large fruit flies (Trypetidae) …   Universalium

  • fruit fly — noun any of numerous small insects whose larvae feed on fruits • Syn: ↑pomace fly • Hypernyms: ↑dipterous insect, ↑two winged insects, ↑dipteran, ↑dipteron • Hyponyms: ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

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