| 1989 California medfly attack | |
|---|---|
 A female Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) | |
| Location | Southern California (Los Angeles area) |
| Date | July 1989–November 1990 |
| Target | California Agriculture/Malathion spraying program |
Attack type | Ecotage, Agro-terrorism, Ecoterrorism |
| Weapons | Medflies |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Injured | 0 |
| Perpetrator | Unknown |
| Motive | Unknown |
In 1989, a sudden invasion of Mediterranean fruit flies (Ceratitis capitata, "medflies") appeared in California and began devastating crops. Scientists were puzzled and said that the sudden appearance of the insects "defies logic", and some speculated "biological terrorists" were responsible.[1] Analysis suggested that an outside hand played a role in the dense infestation.[2][3]
A person or group calling itself "The Breeders" took responsibility for the bioterrorist attack,[4] as financial retaliation for the environmental damage caused by the state's Malathion aerial spraying; the group's members were never identified.[citation needed] Subsequently, three months after "The Breeders" announced the medfly release, the state ended its decade-long Malathion program and sought alternate ways to handle destructive insects.[4]
- ^ Johnson, John. "Invasion by Medfly Defies Logic, Scientists Say Infestation: Experts discover peculiar patterns in the spread of the stubborn fruit fly", Los Angeles Times, December 30, 1989, accessed February 21, 2012.
- ^ Howard, Russell D. et al. Homeland Security and Terrorism: Readings and Interpretations, (Google Books), McGraw-Hill Professional, 2006, p. 49, (ISBN 0071452826).
- ^ Pratt, Robert J. "Invasive Species - A Threat to the Homeland?", USAWC Strategy Research Project, U.S. Army War College, April 7, 2003, accessed February 21, 2012. [dead link]
- ^ a b "Mystery Letter Puts Odd Twist on Medfly Crisis". Los Angeles Times. 1989-12-03. Retrieved 2020-04-06.