The Mediterranean fruit fly or Medfly, as it is commonly known is one of the world's most dreaded agricultural pests, laying its eggs in fruit and vegetables causing them to rot. More than 200 agricultural products can serve as host to the Medfly, including oranges, grapefruit, avocados, strawberries, peaches, plums, nectarines, grapes and dates. The Medfly is a particular problem for developing countries where the export of fresh fruit and vegetables represents the major economic income generator for the country.
In recent years the Medfly has been a particular problem in South America and the western state of California in the United States of America. The Medfly was first identified in South America in 1901 and by 1962 had reached Chile. In 1996 Chile announced the successful completion of a major fumigation programme across the whole country to destroy the Medfly. In California, where public pressure does not support mass fumigation the problem is costing farmers and fruit growers millions of dollars each year.