Mayetiola destructor is thought to have evolved alongside the ancestors of wheat, barley, and rye in the Fertile Crescent region of the Middle East. It is believed to have been introduced into North America in the straw bedding of Hessian mercenaries during the American Revolution, making it likely the first invasive insect pest on the North American continent. Its common name became Hessian fly as a result of this introduction. Hessian fly is now a permanent resident anywhere in North America where wheat, barley, or rye is grown. Populations of Hessian fly, and in turn economic losses, can effectively be held in check with the use of Hessian fly-resistant varieties, seeding winter cereals after the so-called fly-free date, and avoiding the green bridge with proper field hygiene by destroying volunteers of any host species early enough that the insect can not migrate to the newly seeded host species. A few summers ago, Hessian fly infestations in spring wheat reached high enough l...
