ABSTRACT
Suppression, eradication and exclusion of fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Chile

Carlos lobos A1
 

Chile is free of the fruit flies of major world economic importance. Medfly (Ceratitis capitata (Wied.)) is only found in a restricted area of the Arica province in the northern border of the country. The Atacama dessert isolates the province from the rest of the country. In order to mantain and develop this favorable situation, the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture through the Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero (SAG), since 1980, has developed a National Fruit Flies Project considering the following points a) natural isolation of free areas, b) quarantaine system c) national detection system d) emergency plan and e) national fruit production for external market. This paper, some details about this Project are given, and also the antecedents about the existence of a the fruit flies free area in the country.

Keywords: medfly, fruit fijes, detection, eradication, free area, Chile.
1 Departamento de Protección Agrícola, Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero (SAG). Avda. Bulnes 140, Casilla 4088, Santiago, Chile.