Sterile Fruit Fly Identification
The staff of the Identification Section determines the status of the adult Medflies - sterile or wild - trapped in the Jackson or McPhail traps throughout the project area. The sterile Medflies are marked with a fluorescent dye that can be readily identified under ultraviolet lights. The Medfly pupae received by the Mediterranean Fruit Fly Exclusion Program have already been dyed with a fluorescent pink or orange coloration by the laboratory of origin.
If a Medfly is examined and shows no evidence of the fluorescent dye, a trained biosystematist determines the sterility through the dissection and examination of the reproductive organs of the fly. A wild Medfly is indicative of a possible infestation.
Additional Information:
