In northeastern Mexico the Mexican fruit fly, Anastrepha ludens (Loew), breeds on its native host, yellow chapote, Casimiroa greggii (Wats.), which typically produces fruit in the spring. Peak populations of the fly occur in late spring or early summer when adults emerge from the generation of larvae which developed in the spring crop. The parents of the spring generation are flies attracted into the groves of yellow chapote by the presence of fruit. Thus, the reproductive phenology of the fly population depends on the reproductive phenology of the host plant. The reproductive phenology of the host plant follows ambient conditions, in particular, the timing and quantity of rainfall during the preflowering and fruiting season. A prolonged fruiting period can result in production of 2 successive generations of the fruit fly. Infestation rate of the fruit is inversely proportional to the size of the crop; a predictable outcome of the synchronized mass fruiting paradigm (environmental saturation) as a strategy to escape or limit depredation. A strategy to protect a fruit crop might be more effective by targeting the early ovipositing females rather than the succeeding larger peaks of adults.