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| Apple Maggot
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| Rhagoletis pomonella Walsh, 1867 |
The Apple Maggot (Rhagoletis pomonella), also known as railroad worm, is a pest of several fruits, mainly apples. The adult stage lays its eggs inside the fruit; before the arrival of apples from Europe, it typically had to rely on crabapples and hawthorns. The young "worm" that hatches consumes the fruit, and causes it to bruise and drop before ripening. It only emerges after metamorphosis into a relatively defenseless fly. At this point, its main method of defense is its appearance - its coloration is similar to that of the jumping spider.