Mexican Fruit Fly Project

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The adult Mexican fruit fly is larger than a housefly, about 1.0 cm (0.38 inch) long. The body color is a pale orange-yellow with two to three whitish stripes along the thorax. The wings are clear except for several yellow and brown stripes. The female is distinguished by a long and slender ovipositor which is used to deposit eggs beneath the skin of the host fruit. The maggots (larvae) are legless, and range in color from white to yellowish-white, and grow to a length of 1.0 cm within the host fruit.