ROMULUS, Mich. – You’re looking at a picture of larvae from a “rare and potentially destructive” fruit fly that were intercepted at the Detroit Metro Airport. Gross!
The live larvae were found by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists earlier this year. In November, a specialist at the USDA Systemic Entomology Laboratory confirmed that the larvae is from a caper fruit fly.
How were the larvae discovered?
In June, a traveler arriving to Metro Detroit from Italy refused to answer agriculture questions and was referred for a baggage check.
During the search, the larvae were found among fresh caper flowers. USDA and CBP officials suspected the larvae were from a caper fruit fly and sent them out to be tested. Their suspicions were correct.
The caper fruit fly has only been intercepted one other time, 20 years ago, in Tampa, Florida.
“Our CBP officers and agriculture specialists work hand-in-hand to stop potential threats before they have potential to cause economic damage,” said Port Director Fadia Pastilong. “Pests like this may be the next introduced species of concern if they go undetected.”
What is a caper fruit fly?
A caper fruit fly is a pest that feeds mostly on capers.
It belongs to a family of flies that includes the Mediterranean fruit fly, Oriental fruit fly, melon fly, and Mexican fruit fly. According to CBP, those flies are among the most damaging agriculture pests in the world.
Little is known about alternate hosts of the caper fruit fly, or if it could find a suitable host within the United States. However, CBP says it’s not uncommon for pest species to have a detrimental impact outside of their native range.