Eutreta

Loew, 1873

Species Guides

Eutreta is a of fruit flies ( Tephritidae) established by Loew in 1873. The genus comprises 36 distributed across three subgenera: Eutreta, Metatephritis, and Setosigena. Species in this genus are known for inducing galls on plants, with documented associations to Asteraceae and Verbenaceae families. At least one species, Eutreta xanthochaeta, has been introduced to multiple regions for attempted of weeds.

Eutreta angusta by (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda. Used under a CC-BY license.

Eutreta caliptera by (c) Sam Kieschnick, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Sam Kieschnick. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Eutreta: /juˈtrɛtɐ/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Distribution

Distribution records from GBIF indicate presence in the United States, including Vermont. within the have been introduced to Hawaii, South Africa, and Australia for purposes. Native ranges of individual species include Mexico and the southwestern United States.

Host Associations

Artemisia tridentata subsp. vaseyana - gall induction of Eutreta diana; mountain big sage
Fouquieria splendens - gall induction of Eutreta; ocotillo
Lantana camara - gall inductionTarget of Eutreta xanthochaeta for ; Verbenaceae
Lippia myriocephala - gall inductionPreferred native of Eutreta xanthochaeta over camara; Verbenaceae

Behavior

in this induce galls on plants. Gall formation has been observed to alter host plant architecture, increasing terminal buds and reducing inflorescence production on affected twigs.

Human Relevance

Eutreta xanthochaeta was introduced to Hawaii, South Africa, and Australia for of the weed camara. The proved unsuitable for this purpose due to utilization of multiple native plants in its native Mexican range, compromising host specificity required for effective biocontrol.