Western Cherry Fruit Fly

western cherry fruit fly western cherry fruit fly western cherry fruit fly wing

Hosts

cherry

Biology

Western cherry fruit fly is a common pest of cherries in northern and central Utah and in Idaho.  Every cherry can be infested by a maggot if populations are high.  The dark banding pattern on the wings of the cherry fruit fly is a malformed letter “F” with the cross-bar originating from the upper vertical bar rather than the upright bar.

Symptoms/Damage

Small holes in fruit with maggots inside; collapsed fruit if injury is severe; larvae floating in tart cherry harvest tanks.

Monitoring

Yellow stick traps baited with ammonium carbonate. 

Treatment Threshold

No threshold determined.

Degree Day Model

  • Lower threshold:  41°F

Management Considerations

To prevent egg-laying in fruits, treat when fruits develop a salmon blush color.  Proper timing of insecticides is important.