The Mediterranean fruit fly (referred to as Med fly, or Moscamed in Spanish), Ceratitis capitata, is one of the most destructive fruit pests in the world. The United State has suffered infestations of Med fly in California, Texas, and Florida, but with aggressive detection and eradication programs, the Med fly has not yet become established in the United States. However, eradication efforts are difficult and expensive. There is a loss of crop yield associated with the infestation, control measures are costly, and both fresh and processed fruit and vegetables must be sorted. Some countries maintain quarantines against the Med fly, which eliminates potential markets when Med fly becomes established in an area.

The Med fly, which originated in Africa, is widely distributed throughout the world, as it has a wide range of hosts and is able to tolerate colder climates better than most other...