Silba adipata
Black fig fly
Previously: Mediterranean black fig fly
Abbreviation: BFF
Mediterranean black fig fly is present in:
Africa: Algeria, Angola, Berin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Congo, Congo Democratic Republic, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Keyna, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malwai, Mali, Maritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Reunion, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, St. Helena, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zimbabwe
Asia: Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Yemen
Australia: Western Australia
Central American and Caribbean: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico
Europe: Albania, Azores, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Corsica, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Maderia Islands, Portugal, southern Russia, Sardinia, Sicily, Slovenia, Spain, Yugoslavia
North America: Mexico
South American: Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela.
Mediterranean black fig fly is a pest of the following plants: figs, citrus, stone fruit.
Evidence of Mediterranean black fig fly damage includes: larval feeding can cause ripening fruit to rot and unripe fruit to drop from trees. Black marks along the sides of unripe fruit can also occur from larval feeding.
CBP Agriculture Specialists, please refer to the manuals for general inspection guidelines. Mediterranean black fig fly has been intercepted in figs from Mexico. USDA APHIS is requesting CBP perform targeted inspections on Mexican figs to ensure no Mediterranean black fig fly is present within the shipment. Visible damage to the fruit should be present if larvae are present. The larvae look similar to Tephritidae larvae; white-colored and up to 8 mm in length.
Recognition:
Adults (lance flies or Lonchaeidae) - small flies (less than 6 mm) with often shining black body color and a brown halter. Females with long ovipositors.
