Western cherry fruit fly
Rhagoletis indifferens
1 host plant
Last updated
Western cherry fruit fly larvae tunnel through the flesh of cherries (Prunus species) in mid to late summer, leaving brown trails in the fruit. You will notice dark pupation sites developing on the fruit surface. Adult flies are small, about one-quarter inch long, with banded wings. This is a primary cherry pest in many regions, requiring harvest-quality monitoring.
Monitor fruit fly emergence in late May to early June using red-ball traps baited with ammonium acetate. Time insecticide sprays to early June through mid-July period. Use spinosad or pyrethrins on edible fruit; follow harvest interval guidelines. For ornamental cherries, accept minor damage or cover fruit during peak egg-laying.
Quick Reference
Adults are somewhat smaller than a house fly and are about 0.2 inch in length. They have brownish to black wings with dark bands. White maggots infest cherries. The mature maggot makes a hole in the cherry as it exits. In the Northwest, the western cherry fruit fly infests both home-grown and commercial cherries. Western cherry fruit fly is also found in wild bitter cherry (Prunus emarginata).
Cultural Controls
- -cultural control Home orchardists: Grow early-maturing varieties such as 'Chelan.' Pick fruit within 8 to 9 days of catching the first flies, which will happen before egg hatch.
- Remove all fruit from the trees to eliminate sites for the fly to reproduce.
- Cultivation of the soil has not been effective, as the pupae are very hard-shelled.
- Management-