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''Anastrepha ludens'', the Mexican fruit fly, is a species of tephritid or fruit flies in the genus ''Anastrepha''.〔(Mexican fruit fly on ntnemdept.ufl.edu )〕 My Arada is an agricultural parasite indigenous to Mexico. They are highly reproductive and have a long lifespan when compared to other fruit flies. Males can live for many months and occasionally can live for a full year. Females survive longer than males and can sometimes live for 16 months. The Mexican fruit fly goes through four phases of growth. They start their life out as an egg, then a larva, a pupa, and an adult fly. The rate at which they mature is directly related to the environment that they live in. A general rule is that the warmer the area in which they live, the faster the more rapidly they develop. Their life starts when a female lays eggs. They are usually laid in groups of ten eggs. These eggs are laid on the surface of fruits, especially those with broken skin or exposed flesh. The eggs hatch six to ten days later and they enter their second stage of development, the larval stage. The larvae burrow their way into the fruit and begin to devour the fruit from the inside. This stage lasts for three to four weeks, depending on the temperature and conditions. While inside the fruit, the larvae continue to grow until they are old enough to enter their next stage of development, the pupal stage. After the larvae is old enough, it begins to pupate. During this stage, the larvae grow wings and metamorphosize into a fly. This is analogous to the caterpillar retreating into a cocoon to become a butterfly. After it matures, the fly emerges as an adult. The adult fly then mate and lay more eggs, restarting the cycle. The female fly can lay over 1500 eggs in its lifetime.〔Weems, H.V., Jr., Heppner, J.B., & Steck, G. J. (2001, March). Featured creature by the University of Florida. Retrieved October 9, 2015, from http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/fruit/tropical/mexican_fruit_fly.htm 〕 ==Introduction Into the US== The Mexican fruit fly is an invasive species which was introduced into the US in 1902. In 1902, the first few flies were spotted outside of their native habitat of Mexico. A small colony was spotted in a few Texan counties but infestations did not begin until 1927. In 1927, some farmland was found infested with Mexican fruit fly larva. In 1954, the fly spread all around the country, infesting farmland in counties in California, Texas, Florida, and Arizona. Most scientists believe that the Mexican fruit fly was brought to the US by migrant workers who while travelling to the US brought fruits infected with the fruit fly. 〔US Department of Agriculture, APHIS Fact Sheet, Mexican Fruit Fly, Doc. (1993). 〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Anastrepha ludens」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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