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Reference · Pests

Lonchaeidae

Systematic position. The Lonchaeidae family, commonly known as lance flies, belongs to the order Diptera. These small to medium-sized flies have a worldwide distribution. While some species serve as ecological decomposers, several are notorious agricultural pests that cause significant economic damage by infesting fruits, buds, and tree tissues.

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Bates fly Setisquamalonchaea batesi Brown's lance fly Lamprolonchaea brouniana Caribbean fruit fly Neosilba glaberrima Citrus fruit fly Silba citricola Cocoa fly Silba plumosissima Dasiops Dasiops Earomyia aquilonia Earomyia aquilonia Earomyia barbara Earomyia barbara Emerald fruit fly Lamprolonchaea smaragdi Fig fly Silba ficiperda Fig fruit fly Silba adipata Grain fly Earomyia Green fig fly Silba virescens Lamprolonchaea Lamprolonchaea Lonchaea Lonchaea Lonchaea aculeata Lonchaea aculeata Lonchaea chorea Lonchaea chorea Lonchaea cristula Lonchaea cristula Lonchaea curiosa Lonchaea curiosa Lonchaea furnissi Lonchaea furnissi Lonchaea longicornis Lonchaea longicornis Lonchaea occidentalis Lonchaea occidentalis Lonchaea polita Lonchaea polita Lonchaea urubambana Lonchaea urubambana Lonchaea zetterstedti Lonchaea zetterstedti Neosilba Neosilba Neosilba Neosilba certa Neosilba batesi Neosilba batesi Neosilba bifida Neosilba bifida Neosilba inesperata Neosilba inesperata Neosilba laura Neosilba laura Neosilba parva Neosilba parva Neosilba pendula Neosilba pendula Neosilba pradoi Neosilba pradoi Neosilba zadolicha Neosilba zadolicha Passion fruit bud fly Dasiops inedulis Passion fruit fly Dasiops bennetti Setisquamalonchaea Setisquamalonchaea Setisquamalonchaea fumosa Setisquamalonchaea fumosa Silba Silba Silba calva Silba calva Silba chalybea Silba chalybea Silba gibbosa Silba gibbosa Spermatolonchaea Spermatolonchaea Spermatolonchaea flavipennis Spermatolonchaea flavipennis Spruce bark fly Lonchaea corticis

Lonchaeidae

Affected crops and damage. Lonchaeidae pests primarily target a wide range of fruit-bearing trees and vegetable crops. The damage is largely caused by the larvae, which bore into fruits or succulent stems. This feeding activity leads to secondary fungal infections, internal rot, and premature fruit abscission, rendering the produce unmarketable and often inedible.

Biology and life cycle. The life cycle of Lonchaeidae involves four developmental stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Adult females typically lay eggs in damaged fruit skins or existing crevices in plant tissue. Once hatched, the larvae burrow into the host plant to feed. Pupation occurs either within the host tissue or in the surrounding soil, depending on the specific species and host plant.

Host impact. The infestation symptoms include visible boreholes on the fruit surface, wilting of young shoots, or internal disintegration of the fruit flesh. Because the larvae remain hidden inside the plant tissue for the majority of their feeding phase, infestations are frequently detected too late, when the crop has already sustained considerable structural damage.

Protection measures. Effective management of Lonchaeidae relies heavily on integrated pest management (IPM) techniques. Cultural practices such as orchard sanitation, prompt removal and disposal of infested fruit, and soil cultivation to disturb pupation sites are crucial. While chemical control targeting adults may be used, it must be timed precisely to prevent eggs from being deposited.