CHONGQING -- Chinese scientists have uncovered the mechanism behind a major agricultural pest's puzzling habit of laying eggs in mangoes at an early ripening stage, a discovery that may lead to smarter pest control strategies.

The oriental fruit fly causes immense damage to mango crops by preferring to lay eggs in fruit that is just beginning to ripen. This triggers premature fruit drop and significant losses. The damage often occurs before farmers can even detect an infestation.

Researchers at Southwest University in Southwest China's Chongqing municipality, led by Professor Wang Jinjun, have discovered that a specific chemical compound called hesperidin is the key to combating damage caused by these fruit flies. The findings were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

As mangoes mature, hesperidin levels rise. High concentrations of this compound prove toxic to oriental fruit fly offspring, reducing egg hatching rates, suppressing larval growth, and lowering adult emergence.

The female fly avoids this danger by "tasting" with its ovipositor -- a tubular organ used to pierce fruit. The team detected clear electrophysiological signals from the ovipositor tip when exposed to hesperidin, confirming it houses specialized sensors.

This discovery opens new avenues for countering this pest by enabling targeted intervention methods based on the fly's unique sensory system. Researchers can also predict infestation risk by tracking changes in chemical composition in developing fruit, said Jiang Hongbo, a team member and a professor at Southwest University.