Seasonal development
and life cycle—Seedcorn maggot
The life cycles of maggots on vegetable crops are similar. Adult maggots are dark gray flies that resemble
the common housefly. Females lay small white eggs in plant stems right at the soil line or in cracks in
the soil near plant stems. Eggs hatch in a few days and the maggots burrow through to roots or germinating
seeds. The maggots are small, white, and legless -- usually less that 0.33 inch when full grown. After
feeding for one to several weeks, maggots pupate in roots or surrounding soil. Pupae are brown and egg
shaped. In most California growing areas, maggots are active throughout the year and have several generations.
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Seedcorn
maggot adult
Larvae
and pupae
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