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Adult Med flies are up to '/4 inch long, black with yellow <br />abdomens, and have yellow marks on their thoraxes. Their <br />wings are banded with yellow. The female Medfly damages <br />produce by laying eggs in the host fruit or vegetable. The <br />resulting larvae feed on the pulp, rendering the produce unfit <br />for human consumption. In addition to citrus, med flies will <br />feed on hundreds of other commercial and backyard fruit and <br />vegetable crops. <br />Because med flies are not strong fliers, the pest is spread by <br />the transport of larval -infested fruit. The major threats come <br />from travelers, the U.S. mail, and commercial fruit smugglers. <br />Several steps have been taken to prevent new infestations. <br />State and Federal officials are working with postal authorities <br />to develop ways to inspect packages suspected of carrying <br />infested fruit. In addition, public education efforts carrying the <br />message, "Don't Spread Med" are being expanded (Florida <br />Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 1998b). <br />q. Sugarcane Pests — Hazard Identification. Changes in <br />sugarcane agriculture, including new disease and insect pests, <br />have seriously impacted the quality of cane and juice delivered <br />to the mill for processing. These changing developments <br />affect the level of sucrose, purity, fiber, and color of cane, <br />resulting in a loss of sugar and decrease in the quantity and <br />quality of sugar produced (Legendre et al., 1998). <br />r. Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCI� — Hazard <br />Identification. The TYLCV is believed to have entered the <br />state in Dade County sometime in early 1997 (Florida <br />Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 1999). <br />Symptoms vary among tomato types, but in general, leaves <br />produced shortly after infection are reduced in size, distorted, <br />cupped inward or downward, and have a yellow mottle. Fewer <br />than 1 in 10 flowers will produce fruit after TYLCV infection, <br />severely reducing yields. <br />The virus is transmitted by adult silverleaf whiteflies. Although <br />frequent applications of pesticides help to decrease whitefly <br />populations and suppress the spread of TYLCV, virus <br />management through whitefly control is not possible in years <br />where whitefly populations are high. Fortunately, the virus is <br />not transmitted through seed or casual contact with infected <br />Indian River County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan Basic Page 59 <br />