ABSTRACT
The Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata is the only polyphagous fruit fly found in Northwest Africa. Most of the land in the Maghreb countries is desert, and only the coastal plains and mountain masses lying in the path of humid winds coming from the Atlantic Ocean receive enough water for rain-fed and irrigated agriculture. Medfly can be found throughout the entire region wherever cultivated fruiting host plants occur. In the Maghreb, mountains are subject to lengthy periods of snow cover. In Algeria, the high plateaus may have more than 50 days with frost, including late spring frosts. The argan tree, Argania spinosa Skeels, is found only in Morocco. It was widespread throughout the country in ancient times, but at present it exists only in extensive populations in the vicinity and south of Essaouira, around the southwestern tip of the Great Atlas and in the Sous and Draa Valleys.
