Fig Fly

Fig Fly

The fig people consider this an issue

New Pest Alert!!!
Black Fig Fly
This can be really bad!
A horrible new pest has recently been found in Southern California. The Black Fig fly is native to the Old World where figs came from. The adult lays eggs in the eye of the developing fruit. A maggot hatches and eats inside. The fig turns soft and dark prematurely and falls to the ground. The mature maggot exits the fruit then pupates in the soil. In some regions of the Mediterranean this fly has caused 100% loss of crop!
Be aware that this maggot can be surprisingly active when disturbed. There can be 4 or 5 generations per year. If you find maggots in your figs, contact the Orange County Agricultural Commissioner. The state wants to know the extent of the infestation. They are working on a lure to trap the males.

Black Fly Fig

 

There is a very active community of  fig  collectors/growers, mostly with discussions in Facebook groups and the forum Ourfigs.  It appears that for he first time in California growers observed the  Black   Fig  Fly (“BFF”) with larva in immature fruit in Pasadena.  Immature fruit often drops and larva can be found inside.  A large collector in Goleta (Eric, subject of cacao article in current Fruit Gardener magazine) also found the pests.  It is believed that the pests arrived via fruit imported from Mexico (USDA implemented increased irradiation requirements last September in response).  CDFA inspectors are actively engaged in follow-up on location and identifying infestations.  Many more people are also reporting the pest.  I called my friend Edgar Valdivia of Simi Valley Monday morning and he told me that a mutual friend brought inspectors to his place on Sunday and that his trees are infested.  A grower from Santa Cruz reported that she might have them but this has not been confirmed.
In locations where the pest is confirmed the CDFA is issuing a hold order, no fruit, plant parts, soil, etc. can be removed from the premises.  I have bought a couple of McPhail traps and some hexaol (alcohol) which I will probably mix with 2% ammonium sulfate solution to establish my own monitoring program (I’m in Sacramento County).  I’ve contacted my Agricultural Commissioner’s office to let them know about the pest and put them into contact with Los Angeles CDFA officials involved with the inspections, etc.  I was told by CDFA that they would use the trap baits I mentioned above, these are from a Greek paper which can be found at https://www.academia.edu/22734970/Field_observations_on_the_biology_and_behavior_of_ which has a good explanation of how this pest behaves.  The fly is very attracted to  fig  sap and that can also be used as a bait.  In summary, this fly can ruin most or all of your  fig  fruits.  A fly can lay up to 60 eggs in the ostiole of a fruit and then larva emerge, drop to the ground, then emerge from soil as flies and continue the cycle.  There are no pesticides labeled for this pest.  My pest control advisor said that I could probably get some control using Malathion which is labeled for another fly pest for  figs .  I have tried to engage UCD staff and extension agents but have had little success thus far (maybe my desired reaction time is unrealistic).
Since the pest spends some of its life cycle in soil, potted plants should not be removed from an infested location even if all the fruit are removed.
There are three discussion threads in the Ourfigs forum (I have suggested that they be combined) and most any information that is available for now can be found in these:
https://www.ourfigs.com/forum/ figs -home/995540-wow-jumping-worms-inside-my- figs
https://www.ourfigs.com/forum/ figs -home/1002499-urgent-psa-for-all-california-growers
https://www.ourfigs.com/forum/ figs -home/1005825-number-one-bff-controll-asset
The purpose of my notice:
1. Make everyone aware of this pest
2. Provide some resource links
3. Request that you not move fruit, plants, soil from areas that may be infested.
Please share this message with other groups as you wish.  I haven’t participated much in the Groups.io platform and am not proficient in using it and just too dang busy as it is.
Thanks,
Harvey