A genus of fruit flies, including the olive fly and other pest species that damage fruits and vegetables across the Mediterranean and Africa.
Possibly from Arabic or Greek origin, the term entered scientific nomenclature in the 18th century for economically significant pest insects.
The Mediterranean fruit fly (Dacus species) has caused billions in crop damage and sparked international trade wars—scientists even developed sterile male release programs where they sterilize males with radiation to crash wild populations, a technique still used today.
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