European cherry fruit flies stopped at Detroit Metropolitan Airport

European cherry fruit fly. Photo by Ben Hamers; Holland via Diptera.info/invasivespeciesinfo.gov.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) team has stopped the European cherry fruit fly from entering the country at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

On June 19, 2025, the bug was found in a secondary inspection of a five-pound bag of cherries. There were live fruit fly maggots and pupae in the bag.

According to the CBP, the traveler was coming from Romania and on their way to Wisconsin. Wisconsin is a ‘major tart cherry producer’.

“This was an excellent interception by our agricultural specialist,” said Fadia Pastilong, port director.

“This pest can pose a major threat to cherry orchards in the Midwest.”

A news release outlined the serious threat of the bugs, saying they can cause damage and rot, leaving the fruit they eat unusable. Increased pesticide use is needed to prevent the bugs.