While thought to have originated in Cuba, the Caribbean fruit fly can now also be found in Florida, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico.

[2][3] Anastrepha suspensa is a small brown and yellow fly that is can be distinguished from similar species by the placement of the veins in the wings.

[10] It may be possible that the yellow and brown color may be adopted from bees to discourage predators, but no studies have thoroughly examined this form of mimicry.

[citation needed] As the common name Caribbean fruit fly suggests, A. suspensa has primarily been identified in Caribbean Islands and Central America in countries including the Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico.

These flies seem to prefer consumption of guavas,[12] the Cayenne cherry, rose apple, tropical almonds, grapefruit, and oranges.

They have also been noted to infest papaya, Natal plum, kumquat, mango, mombin, and an array of cherries.

[12] Like all Diptera, A. suspensa undergoes 4 main lifestages: egg, larva (with 3 instars or substages), pupa, and adult.

[citation needed] Anastrepha suspensa females lay about 200 eggs on the exterior of mature and rotting fruit.

[citation needed] The larvae which hatch from the eggs are vermiform maggots, similar to other fruit flies.

[9] In this stage, the larvae will begin to develop features like the anterior spiracles to allow oxygen to enter the respiratory system.

[citation needed] Larvae and pupae advance from the flavedo towards the center and pulp sections of the fruit as it matures because of the increased sweetness.

The pupae are fully encompassed by the hardened skin of the 3rd larval instar which forms a covering called a puparium.

[18] During the early morning, males and females often interact on host fruit like guava and Cayenne cherries.

[18] As temperature and light increase as the morning progresses, males and females will both move to areas under shaded leaves.

[18][10][19] In these claimed areas, the males puff to release sex pheromones from glands near their anal canal as scent markings[20][21] and sing songs to attract females.

[21] The plant compounds naringin and quinine inhibit oviposition, reducing the areas in which A. suspensa may inhabit and reproduce.

An example of this biological control is the endoparasitoid braconid wasp, Diachasmimorpha longicaudata, which caused a 40% reduction in A. suspensa populations in research studies.

[8] When the fly enters the pupal stage the eggs of the wasp hatch and begin to feed on the larvae.

[citation needed] Earliest methods of control for A. suspensa to protect fruits were as simple as using hot water; recent solutions are much more intricate.

[27] There have also been studies using imidacloprid-treated spheres for control and eradication of A. suspensa in areas where it may be difficult to spread a large range of insecticides.

[12] Kairomones for A. suspensa include ammonium carbonate + 3-methyl-1-butanol (cultured from Enterobacter agglomerans) for females only; common for monitoring in Florida.

[1] Studies have examined the effect of gamma irradiation on flies at different stages of their life to make them sterile.

[30] Based on these preferences, it was hypothesized that the photoreceptors in A. suspensa respond specifically to 580-590 nm visible light range.

Other studies have discussed the strong sense of vision for A. suspensa and how this has allowed for conducting experiments with clear cages to further test the behavior of the flies.

Since larvae burrow beneath the surface of fruits that they occupy, it is difficult to observe feeding behavior of these early stages of the flies.

[citation needed] Based on research that has been conducted in A. suspensa, there are no clear cases of mutualism with either plants, animals, or microbes.

Due to their large array of host fruits ranging from guava to oranges, the economic damage is expansive.

[32] A. suspensa are believed to be highly invasive due their potential to their broad native range and strong ability to adapt to different environments.

[32] In order to inhibit the spread of the flies, many countries like Bermuda, Brazil, China, Colombia, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, Thailand, and the United States have adopted strict protocols to maintain fly-free zones when importing fruit.