''Rhagoletis indifferens'', the western cherry fruit fly, is a pest that lives only on
cherries
A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit).
Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet ''Prunus avium'' and the sour ''Prunus cerasus''. The nam ...
. The adult form of this insect is slightly smaller than a
housefly
The housefly (''Musca domestica'') is a fly of the suborder Cyclorrhapha. It is believed to have evolved in the Cenozoic Era, possibly in the Middle East, and has spread all over the world as a commensal of humans. It is the most common fl ...
, with white stripes across the abdomen, yellow markings near the base of the wings, and black markings on the wings. The larva, which is the stage of this insect's lifecycle that causes the actual damage to the fruit, is similar to a typical fly larva or maggot. Female flies lay eggs in the cherries, where the larvae feed for 1–2 weeks before exiting. Western cherry fruit flies damage fruit by feeding, in both the adult and larval stages.
Distribution
This species is found in southeastern
British Columbia in
Canada, and
Arizona,
California,
Colorado,
Idaho,
Montana,
New Mexico,
Oregon,
Utah,
Washington, and
Wyoming in the
United States. It has been introduced to
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
.
References
Washington State University Fact Sheet
indifferens
Agricultural pest insects
Insects described in 1932
{{Rhagoletis-stub