- Zonosemata electa
- Google Images
- fly larvae
- overwinters as a pupa in the soil; adults emerge over a 10- to 14-day period, starting when the soil warms up
- during the summer, the female lays her eggs in punctures she creates in the skin of the pepper fruit
- 8-10 days later the maggots emerge from the eggs and burrow into the fruit where they feed for about 2-3 weeks, getting to almost 1/2″ long
- maggots are up to 1/2″ long and creamy white to yellow in color
- mature maggots drop to the soil and burrow down 2-5″ where they pupate (brown, oval, smaller than 1/2″)
Control
- clear plant debris during the growing season and at the end of the season (adults are attracted to rotting peppers
- weed out all nightshade weeds and volunteers (VGPS)
- crop rotation to non-nightshades
