HERFS/AUTUMN BONUS TYDSKRIF 2026

Dr. Elleunorah Allsopp, Entomologist & Dr. Jeanne de Waal, Business Manager - Laeveld Agrochem The fruit fly life cycle Understanding how fruit flies breed, helps farmers time their control measures: Eggs: Laid under fruit skin; hatch within one to three days. Larvae: Feed inside fruit for six to 30 days, causing hidden damage. Pupae: Mature larvae drop to the soil and pupate. Adults: Live from two weeks to six months. Females lay up to 300 eggs. Populations build quickly in warm conditions (10°C to 30°C). In summer, a full cycle can finish in just three weeks. Numbers peak in late summer and autumn. Fruit flies overwinter as adults on evergreen plants with dense foliage if no fruit (such as guavas or other winter fruit) is available around the orchards. Spotting the damage • Small puncture marks on fruit skin (egg-laying sites). • Internal tunnels where larvae feed, often invisible until cutting fruit open. • Soft spots and rotting flesh from secondary infection. • Higher presence of vinegar flies around rotting fruit. The Mediterranean fruit fly. Photo: Prof. A.P. Malan, Stellenbosch University. www.agribonus.co.za Herfs/Autumn 2026 BONUS 23