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National Invasive Species Information Center
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Home / Terrestrial Invasives / Terrestrial Invertebrates / European Cherry Fruit Fly

European Cherry Fruit Fly

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European cherry fruit fly
European cherry fruit fly - Photo by Ben Hamers; Holland (Diptera.info)
Scientific Name: 

Rhagoletis cerasi L. (ITIS)

Common Name: 
European cherry fruit fly (ECFF)
Native To: 

Europe (Schuler et al. 2013)

Date of U.S. Introduction: 

First detected in New York in 2017 (Wakie et al. 2018)

Means of Introduction: 

Most likely through the movement of infested fruit (APHIS 2017)

Impact: 

Highly destructive pest of cherries (Prunus spp.) (Wakie et al. 2018)

Spotlights

USDA Establishes European Cherry Fruit Fly Quarantine in Niagara County, New York (Jun 14, 2018)

USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has established a quarantine for European cherry fruit fly (ECFF) in New York. A portion of Niagara County was quarantined for the invasive fruit fly following the detection of 51 flies in 2017. As of January 2020, the quarantined area has been expanded to include all of Niagara, Erie, and Orleans Counties. APHIS and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (NYSDAM) are working collaboratively on this detection. See also: Fruit Flies Quarantine for additional information.

USDA Warns Dangerous Pests are Emerging, Adds Cherry Fruit Fly to Alert List (Apr 2, 2018)

USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

Hungry Pests are invasive species that disrupt ecosystems, threatening to push out and eliminate native species. The European cherry fruit fly, the newest pest added to the group, attacks cherries. This pest was detected in the United States for the first time when fruit flies were caught in traps along the Niagara River in New York last year. If left unchecked, this pest could threaten cherry production in the United States. It can be introduced to new places through the movement of soil or infested fruit from areas where the pest occurs.

Distribution / Maps / Survey Status

Pest Tracker - Survey Status of European Cherry Fruit Fly

USDA. APHIS. Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS). National Agricultural Pest Information System (NAPIS).

Federally Regulated

Domestic Quarantine Notices (Title 7: Agriculture, Part 301) - Fruit Flies

U.S. Government Printing Office. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations.

Federal Import Orders

USDA. APHIS. Plant Protection and Quarantine.

A Federal Order is a legal document issued in response to an emergency when the Administrator of APHIS considers it necessary to take regulatory action to protect agriculture or prevent the entry and establishment into the United States of a pest or disease. Federal Orders are effective immediately and contain the specific regulatory requirements.

Fruit Flies Quarantine Information

USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

Includes information for Mexican Fruit Fly, Mediterranean Fruit Fly, and Oriental Fruit Fly

Hungry Pests - Pest Tracker

USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

See what states have a federal quarantine for any of the targeted Hungry Pests, and identify which pests or diseases are at greatest risk due to a suitable habitat. In addition to federal quarantines, state-level quarantines might apply see State Summaries of Plant Protection Laws and Regulations (National Plant Board).

Selected Resources

The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source. Or, to display all related content view all resources for European Cherry Fruit Fly.

Partnership
Forest Invasives Canada Pest Alert - European Cherry Fruit Fly
Invasive Species Centre (Ontario); Great Lakes Forest Alliance.
National Pest Alert: European Cherry Fruit Fly

North Central Integrated Pest Management Center.

See also: Pest Alerts for more resources

Plantwise Technical Factsheet - European Cherry Fruit Fly (Rhagoletis cerasi)

CABI. Plantwise Knowledge Bank.

Federal Government
Hungry Pests: The Threat - European Cherry Fruit Fly
USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
Plant Pest and Disease Program: Insects - Fruit Flies

USDA. APHIS. Plant Protection and Quarantine.

International Government
Plant Pests / Invasive Species - European Cherry Fruit Fly

Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

State and Local Government
European Cherry Fruit Fly

New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

Academic
Invasive Species & Exotic Pests: European Cherry Fruit Fly (Feb 2020) (PDF | 853 KB)

Cornell University. New York State Integrated Pest Management Program.

See also: Invasive Species & Exotic Pests for more factsheets

Utah Pests Fact Sheet - European Cherry Fruit Fly (Oct 2018) (PDF | 1.83 MB)

Utah State University Extension; Utah Plant Pest Diagnostic Laboratory.

See also: Tree Fruit Insects Fact Sheets for more species
Forecasting Invasion Risks: Factsheets - European Cherry Fruit Fly (Feb 2010) (PDF | 1.34 MB)

Michigan State University. Integrated Pest Management Program.

See also: Forecasting Invasion Risks for more factsheets

Citations