U.S. Customs agents find Mexican fruit flies in mango shipment

PROGRESO — U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists found Mexican fruit fly larvae in a crate of mangoes during a routine inspection.

Specialists found 18 larvae, nine live and nine dead, in one mango while examining a commercial produce shipment at the Progreso port of entry’s cargo facility on Aug. 1. A government entomologist confirmed the larvae were Mexican fruit flies, according to a CBP news release.

Agency spokesman Felix Garza said agents check all shipments and occasionally find fruit flies.

The recent find in Progreso was a major discovery for CBP because the larvae were all in one piece of fruit, Garza said.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Mexican fruit fly is among the world’s most destructive pests. They destroy many types of fruit, including oranges and grapefruit.

Female fruit flies lay their eggs in pieces of fruit, and the larvae that hatch from those eggs eat the flesh of that fruit, causing it to rot. The flies could cause billions of dollars worth of damage if they become established in the United States, according to the USDA.