Tephritid Pest Populations Oriental Fruit Fly Outbreaks in California: 48 Consecutive Years, 235 Cities, 1,500 Detections—and Counting

The following notice was posted on the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) website a few weeks before we received the manuscript by Todd Shelly and his colleagues (Shelly et al. 2018) in which they attempt to rebut our claim that a number of tephritid fruit fly species, including the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), are established in the state: Between August 1 and 9, 2017, eight male oriental fruit flies (OFFs), Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) group, were trapped in the city of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County. Based on the survey data, pest biology, information from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Bactrocera Science Advisory Panel (BacSAP), recommendations provided by the CDFA Primary State Entomologist, and the CDFA “Action Plan for Methyl Eugenol Attracted Fruit Flies including Oriental Fruit Fly Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel),” the CDFA concludes that an infestation of OFF exists in the area.