Insect Note #39 (Revised)

Prepared by:
Kenneth A. Sorenson, Extension Entomologist

Dated 6/93
Placed on the Web 4/95 by the Department of Entomology, NCSU

Pepper Maggot

Zonosemata electa (Say), Diptera: Tephritidae

Although the pepper maggot is not a common pest i North Carolina, it does occur sporadically. It is a serious pest because one maggot can destroy an entire fruit. More importantly, peppers containing small larvae are often harvested with other peppers. Maggot infested peppers cannot be tolerated by the processor and consumer.

Solanacerous plants which include horsenettle, eggplant, tomato and pepper serve as host plants for pepper maggots. However, peppers, especially cherry peppers, appear to be preferred by maggots.

Damage

An infested fruit usually has a small dimple where the female fly deposited an egg. As the maggot matures inside the pod, the fruits turn red prematurely, becoming soft, watery and rotten. Soft spots can often be seen where the maggot has fed on the pod walls. When infested fruit is picked, the cap usually separates from the pod because the maggot has eaten the core. Fruit may drop from the plant.

Distribution

The pepper maggot overwinters as a pupa in soil. Adults begin to emerge from the soil during June and continue to emerge through mid-August. The adult is a brightly colored fly with a pale yellow head, green eyes, honey colored thorax, pale yellow abdomen and clear wings with brown bands. It is about the same size as a house fly.

After mating, the female lays its eggs in the pepper pods. Eggs are about 1/16 inch (2 mm) long, white and shaped like crookneck squash, and they are deposited in punctures made by the female. Eggs hatch in 8 to 10 days. The maggots generally move to the core to feed, but maggots may also feed on the walls of the pod.

Larvae remain in peppers until fully grown, a period of 2 to 3 weeks. When fully grown, a larva is about 3/8 to 1/2 inch long (10 to 12 mm), creamy white to yellow in color and shaped like a short peg. At this time the maggot leaves the pepper, drops to the soil and forms a puparium 2 to 4 inches deep in the soil. Puparia are medium brown in color and about 5/16 inch (8 mm) long. There is one generation per year.

Control

Sanitation and rotation are important control measures for pepper maggot. Adult flies are attracted to peppers which are rotting, so when possible, remove rotting fruit from fields. To reduce maggot buildup from year to year, remove maggot infested fruit from fields. Be sure to destroy infested fruit and cull piles as they serve as reservoirs for future infestations. Another cultural control is rotation. When possible, do not plant in or near fields with a history of maggot infestation.

Yellow sticky traps can be used to monitor adult fly emergence. Traps merely indicate when adults are active and not necessarily how many are present. Yellow sticky traps are commercially available as they are used in monitoring apple maggots. Traps can be made by painting a board yellow and coating it with a commercial product such as Tanglefoote or Stickem. Mineral oil or petroleum jelly can also be used. At least one trap per acre should be placed around field margins and checked weekly for picture wing flies. Chemical control, if used, should be applied when flies appear and repeated weekly as indicated by trap collections. In commercial pepper plantings, the following materials may be used:
Insecticide and Formulation Amount of Formulation /acre Days to harvest Comments
       
acephate      
(Orthene)
75 SP
1 to 1/3 lb 7 Bell peppers only
endosulfan      
(Thiodan, Phaser)
3lb/gal EC
50WP

1/3 qt.
2lb
4
4		  

malathion
57 EC
25 WP
5 D


1/2 pt.
6 lb.
30lb.
3
3
3		  
dimethoate      
(Cygon)
4 lb/gal EC
1/2 to 2/3 pt. 0   

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services in this publication does not imply endorsements by the North Carolina
Cooperative Extension Service nor discrimination against similar products or
services not mentioned.  All pesticide recommendations provided in this
publication apply to pest control in North Carolina.  Individuals who use
chemicals are responsible for ensuring that the intended use complies with 
current regulations and conforms to the product label.  Be sure to obtain 
information about product usage in your locale and examine a current product 
label before applying any chemical.  The information presented on pest 
biology is based on conditions in North Carolina and may not be applicable 
to your locale.   For further information, we recommend that you contact the 
Cooperative Extension Service office in your county.