| Rhagoletis mendax | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Tephritidae |
| Genus: | Rhagoletis |
| Species: | R. mendax
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| Binomial name | |
| Rhagoletis mendax Curran, 1932
| |
Rhagoletis mendax is a species of tephritid fruit fly known by the common name blueberry maggot. The blueberry maggot is closely related to the apple maggot (R. pomonella), a larger fruit fly in the same genus. It is a major pest of plant species in the Ericaceae family, such as blueberry, cranberry, and huckleberry. The larva is 5 to 8 mm long, apodous, and white with chewing mouthparts. Female adults are 4.75 mm in length, males are slightly smaller. Both adults are mostly black in color with white stripes, orange-red eyes, and a single pair of clear wings with black banding. The adult female fly lays a single egg per blueberry, and when the larva hatches it consumes the fruit, usually finishing the entire berry in under 3 weeks and rendering it unmarketable. The larva then falls to the soil and pupates. Adult flies emerge, mate, and females oviposit when blueberry plants are producing fruit. Each female fly can lay 25 to 100 eggs in their lifetime.
It is present in regions of the eastern and southern United States and eastern Canada. The spread of infestation is regulated by national and regional plant protection organizations. These include the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO), and smaller regional government organizations.
Blueberry maggot infestations are predominantly controlled with the use of chemical insecticides. Degree day predictive models and monitoring data gathered through sticky card traps are used in an integrated pest management program to make decisions on timing and frequency of control applications. Cultural measures such as removing overripe berries are often paired with chemical insecticide treatments in control programs.