ABSTRACT
Various fruit flies (Tephritidae) attack citrus fruit in the most important fruit growing areas in the world. These are tropical and subtropical species, broad-range exploiters of pulpy fruits, multivoltine and characterized by a great capacity for movement and by a high reproductive potential. Ceratitis capitata (Wied.) is the most important species, because of its large distribution area, high poliphagous behaviour and its ability to adapt to different climatic and agricultural conditions. C. capitata population densities in the Mediterranean basin are largely determined by climatic factors and by the sequence and availability of host fruits, being highest in areas of mixed fruit cultivation and in subtropical climates. The seasonal fluctuation of this species shows a characteristic trend with a minimum population in winter, a maximum at the end of summer and an aggregation in citrus groves in autumn. Fruit flies do not appear to be well adapted to development in citrus fruit where eggs and larvae suffer high mortality because of toxicity of essential oils in the peel. The biological and ecological characteristics and an extremely low economic threshold of fruit flies attacking citrus determine the ways in which populations may be manipulated for pest management purposes.
