On Tuesday September 15th 2015, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam declared a state of agricultural emergency due to the oriental fruit fly infestation in Miami-Dade County. The oriental fruit fly is considered one of the most serious of the world’s fruit fly pests due to its potential economic harm. For general information on this destructive pest of fruit, see EENY-083: Oriental Fruit Fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Insecta: Diptera: Tephritidae) an informative Featured Creatures fact sheet describing the species, its distribution, life history, hosts, damage, quarantine & management, and selected references. (Photo Credit: Scott Bauer, USDA)
Also see these useful sources for news and information on the emerging threat: