General Impact
C. capitata is a serious pest to many crops. Damage to crops caused by C. capitata results from 1) oviposition in fruit and soft tissues of vegetative parts of certain plants, 2) feeding by the larvae, and 3) decomposition of plant tissue by invading secondary microorganisms. Larval feeding in fruits is the most damaging. Mature, attacked fruits may develop a water soaked appearance. Young fruits become distorted and usually drop. The larval tunnels provide entry points for bacteria and fungi that cause the fruit to rot. These maggots also attack young seedlings, succulent taproots, and stems and buds of host plants. Trapping for detection of populations; excluding populations by using foliage baits and chemical sprays and release of male sterile medflys to reduce populations require a great deal of resources and can have significant economic implications. Medflies are serious quarantine pests that also affect global trade. The presence of medflies often requires host crops to undergo quarantine treatments or other disinfestation procedure of certification of flyfree areas. The costs of such activities and phytosanitary regulatory compliance can be significant.
Location Specific Impacts:California (United States (USA)) 
Economic/Livelihoods: A study indicates that California would stand to lose $538 million in output, $259 million in
total income, $283 million in gross state product, and 7,900 jobs following a sudden and wide infestation (CDFA, 2003).
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