Acanthiophilus is a genus of tephritid fruit flies in the tribe Tephritini. A 2015 phylogenetic revision recognized eight species after describing three new species and transferring five previously assigned species elsewhere. The genus is reported from Africa, the Canary Islands, Europe, and Asia, with most species associated with the Afrotropical region. Its best-known agricultural example is A. helianthi, the safflower capsule fly; evidence about that species should not be generalized to every member of the genus.
Acanthonevroides is an accepted genus of fruit flies in the family Tephritidae. Five named species are listed for the genus. Published Australian records include A. basalis in Victoria and A. variegatus in South Australia; these are species-level records, not a complete range for the genus. Fruit-fly identification can require specialist morphological examination, and DNA barcodes can complement morphology.
Acidiella is a genus of tephritid fruit flies in the tribe Trypetini. Its type species, A. longipennis, is reported from across Southeast Asia. A taxonomic study of Myanmar specimens separated three closely similar species and provided a key, highlighting how much identification can depend on structures that are hard to assess in dried flies.
Acinia is a genus of tephritid fruit flies in the family Tephritidae. The genus comprises approximately 13 described species distributed primarily in the Palearctic and Nearctic regions. At least one species, Acinia picturata, has been documented in association with plants in the Asteraceae family.
Acroceratitis is a genus of tephritid fruit flies; GBIF lists 23 accepted species. Research on Oriental members documents five species whose larvae inhabit bamboo, while a recent Indian revision recognizes 11 species recorded from India. These studies provide a small window into the genus, but do not establish that bamboo use is universal across its species.
Acrotaeniini fruit flies
Acrotaeniini is a tribe of tephritid fruit flies within the subfamily Tephritinae, established by Foote, Blanc & Norrbom in 1993. The tribe comprises eleven genera distributed primarily in the New World, including the well-known genus Tomoplagia. Members are characterized by distinctive wing patterns and are associated with various host plants. The tribe has been documented in at least 601 observations on iNaturalist, indicating moderate field recognition.
Acrotaeniostola is a genus of fruit flies in the family Tephritidae and tribe Gastrozonini. Members of the genus have been reported to use bamboo shoots as breeding substrates. Species-level records from Asia provide examples of its biology, but the available evidence does not establish traits shared by every species.
Capparimyia is a genus of tephritid fruit flies. A 2005 revision recognized eight species and provided a key to distinguish them. The revision describes diagnostic illustrations of the thoracic back (mesonotum), wing patterns, and terminalia. In one documented example, larvae of C. savastani feed in caper flower buds; that species-specific association should not be assumed for every member of the genus.
Carpomya is a genus of fruit flies in the family Tephritidae. Its species include flies associated with fruits: C. incompleta has records from jujube plants, while C. pardalina is recorded from melons and watermelons. A different member, C. vesuviana, is a significant jujube pest and has parasitoid wasps attacking its immature stages. These examples are species-specific, not traits established for every Carpomya fly.
Carpomya is a genus of fruit flies in the family Tephritidae. Species-level studies show that some members use fruits of jujube relatives: C. incompleta has been reported as a jujube pest in Spain, while C. vesuviana is studied as a pest of cultivated jujube. These examples do not establish a host or ecological pattern for every species in the genus.
Carpomyina is a subtribe of fruit flies within the family Tephritidae, subfamily Trypetinae, and tribe Carpomyini. Members are included in genera such as Rhagoletis, Zonosemata, and Carpomya. Behavioral studies indicate these flies exhibit complex resource-acquisition behaviors related to food, mates, and oviposition sites, with defensive behaviors against natural enemies.
Carpomyini is a tribe of fruit flies within the family Tephritidae, subfamily Trypetinae. The tribe includes genera such as Carpomya, Goniglossum, Myiopardalis, and Norrbomella. Species within this tribe are associated with host plants in the family Cucurbitaceae, particularly Bryonia species.
Chaetorellia is a genus of tephritid fruit flies (family Tephritidae) containing approximately 11 described species. Species in this genus are specialists on Asteraceae flower heads, with larvae developing within capitula and feeding on developing florets and seeds. Several species have been investigated or deployed as biological control agents against invasive thistles and knapweeds, particularly yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis). The genus is characterized by distinctive morphological features and host-specificity patterns that have been taxonomically revised.
Chaetostomella is a genus of fruit flies in the family Tephritidae, established by Hendel in 1927. The genus comprises approximately 16 described species distributed across the Palearctic region. At least one species, Chaetostomella cylindrica, exhibits host race formation on different thistle species, with documented genetic, morphological, and behavioral divergence between populations associated with Notobasis syriaca and Onopordum illyricum.
Chetostoma is a genus of true flies (Diptera) in the family Tephritidae, first described by Camillo Rondani in 1856. The genus comprises approximately 15 described species distributed across the Northern Hemisphere, including North America, Europe, and East Asia. Members of this genus are small to medium-sized fruit flies, though specific biological details for most species remain poorly documented. The genus is classified within the subfamily Trypetinae and tribe Trypetini.
Chetostomatina is a subtribe of true fruit flies (family Tephritidae) established by Han in 1999. It belongs to the diverse group of tephritid flies, many of which are economically significant agricultural pests. The subtribe is part of the broader classification of fruit flies that includes numerous species with specialized relationships with host plants.
Cornutrypeta is a genus of fruit flies in the family Tephritidae. Its original revision included nine species from the Palaearctic and Oriental regions. A distinguishing feature reported for males is enlarged bristle-like setae on the front of the head. The genus was treated within the Trypeta group of tribe Trypetini.
Cryptotreta is a genus of fruit flies in the family Tephritidae, established by Blanc & Foote in 1961. It belongs to the tribe Eutretini within the subfamily Tephritinae. The genus is poorly documented in scientific literature, with limited observational records.
Cucurbit Fruit Flies
The Dacinae are a subfamily of true fruit flies (family Tephritidae) comprising 39-41 genera distributed among three tribes: Dacini, Ceratitidini, and Gastrozonini. The subfamily includes some of the world's most economically damaging agricultural pests, notably species in the genera Bactrocera, Zeugodacus, Ceratitis, and Dacus. Many dacine species are attracted to specific male lures such as methyl eugenol, cue-lure, and zingerone, which are widely used in monitoring and management programs. The subfamily has a predominantly tropical and subtropical distribution, with significant impacts on fruit and vegetable production across Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Australia.
Dacini is a tribe of fruit flies in the family Tephritidae and subfamily Dacinae. It includes major genera such as Dacus and Bactrocera, along with several other lineages whose relationships have been revised as molecular and morphological evidence has accumulated. The tribe is centered in the Old World tropics and extends through Asia, Africa, Australasia, and Pacific regions. Its biological importance comes from the close relationship between many species and fruit or other plant tissues, including economically important pest lineages.
Diarrhegma is a genus of fruit flies in the family Tephritidae. GBIF currently lists two accepted species, including D. modestum and D. paritii. Records place named members in South and Southeast Asia. The best-supported biological details available here concern D. modestum and should not be assumed for every species in the genus.
Dictyotrypeta is a genus of tephritid fruit flies established by Friedrich Hendel in 1914. GBIF lists six accepted species, with occurrence records from Central and South America. Natural-history evidence is sparse, but one unidentified species has been studied in central Veracruz, Mexico. There, its larvae infested the flower heads of Smallanthus maculatus, and the observed population completed two generations in a year.
Dirioxa is an accepted genus of tephritid fruit flies with two accepted species listed in the GBIF backbone. The genus is reported from Australia, mainly the east, and belongs to the Australian tribe Acanthonevrini, which a taxonomic study characterizes as nonpest flies. In the studied species Dirioxa pornia, researchers documented adult diagnostic features and new host-plant records.
Dithrycini is a tribe of fruit flies within the subfamily Tephritinae of Tephritidae. Members are medium-sized flies approximately 4–5 mm in length. The tribe contains at least 11 genera including Dithryca (the type genus), Eurosta, Aciurina, and Platensina. Some species are associated with gall formation on host plants.
small fruit flies, vinegar flies
Drosophila is a large genus of small flies in the family Drosophilidae, with more than 1,500 described species. The genus occurs worldwide, with particularly high diversity in tropical regions, and its members differ widely in appearance and breeding substrates. Many species develop in fermenting or decaying plant and fungal material; individual species also have outsized importance in research or agriculture.
Drosophilinae is the largest subfamily of Drosophilidae, containing the genus Drosophila and numerous related genera. The subfamily is characterized by complex phylogenetic relationships, with the genus Drosophila being paraphyletic as several genera (Zaprionus, Scaptomyza, Lordiphosa) are nested within it. Molecular studies have revealed distinctive gene evolution patterns in this group, including a rare retroposition event of the e(y)2 gene in Protostomes.
Euaresta is a genus of tephritid fruit flies comprising 15 species endemic to the Americas. The genus is specialized on host plants in the genera Ambrosia, Xanthium, and Dicoria (Asteraceae), where larvae develop in flowers and seeds. Several species have been introduced outside their native ranges as biological control agents for invasive weeds. The genus was established by Loew in 1873.
Euarestoides is a genus of true fruit flies in the family Tephritidae, established by Benjamin in 1934. The genus comprises six species distributed across the New World, from Canada through the Caribbean and Central America to South America. Species are associated with host plants in the Asteraceae family, particularly ragweeds (Ambrosia), sagebrushes (Hymenoclea), and related genera. The genus was revised taxonomically in 2019, with three new species described from Peru, Brazil, and Colombia.
Eutreta is a genus of fruit flies (family Tephritidae) established by Loew in 1873. The genus comprises 36 species distributed across three subgenera: Eutreta, Metatephritis, and Setosigena. Species in this genus are known for inducing galls on host plants, with documented associations to Asteraceae and Verbenaceae families. At least one species, Eutreta xanthochaeta, has been introduced to multiple regions for attempted biological control of invasive weeds.
Gastrozonini is a tribe of fruit flies in the family Tephritidae and subfamily Dacinae. Taxonomic and biological publications describe the tribe as primarily associated with bamboo, especially bamboo-shoot breeding. Published biological details concern particular genera and species; traits documented for one member should not be treated as universal for the whole tribe. One study placed the bamboo-associated genus Ichneumonopsis in Gastrozonini, while another treated species of Gastrozona from India.
Goedenia is a genus of fruit flies in the family Tephritidae, established by Freidberg & Norrbom in 1999. It belongs to the subfamily Tephritinae and tribe Myopitini. The genus contains at least one described species, G. steyskali, named in 2002. Like other tephritids, members of this genus are likely associated with plants, though specific biology remains poorly documented.
fruit flies
Gymnocarena is a genus of true fruit flies (family Tephritidae) comprising 19 described species. Most species are native to North America, with one species (G. monzoni) recorded from Guatemala. Larvae develop within the heads of plants in the sunflower family (Asteraceae), feeding on developing seeds and acting as seed predators. Several species are associated with cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus) and can be agricultural pests. Adults are characterized by patterned wings typical of tephritid fruit flies.
Hendrella is a genus of tephritid fruit flies, accepted by GBIF in the family Tephritidae. GBIF currently lists twelve accepted species, while a 2017 paper described eight as then known from the Palaearctic; the counts reflect different dates and sources. The genus is known from the Palaearctic in the taxonomic literature. In one Iranian species, larvae develop as stem galls in an Artemisia plant.
Hexachaeta is a genus of fruit flies in the family Tephritidae. A 2025 Colombian study describes a new species in its colombiana species group and reports the first biological information for that group. For two named species, the study documents associations with Lamiaceae plants; it also records a braconid wasp parasitizing one of them. GBIF lists 30 species-level names under the genus, though backbone counts can change with taxonomic revisions.
Hoplandromyia is a genus of fruit flies in the family Tephritidae. The GBIF Backbone currently lists seven accepted species. Documented records span parts of Africa, Madagascar, Réunion, Bhutan, and Thailand, and taxonomic work has also described species from China. A 2013 treatment updated keys for identifying the genus’s known species.
Ichneumonosoma is a genus of fruit flies in the family Tephritidae, established by Meijere in 1914. GBIF currently lists five accepted species, while a 2015 revision treated the genus alongside three related genera and provided a key to its species. The published record includes a new Thai record for I. imitans, but that species-level locality should not be read as the range of the entire genus. A morphological and molecular study supported the genus as a monophyletic group, although its relationships to some neighboring tephritid lineages remained unresolved.
Icterica is a genus of true fruit flies in the family Tephritidae, established by Loew in 1873. The genus comprises at least two described species: Icterica seriata (Loew, 1862) and Icterica circinata (Loew, 1873). As members of Tephritidae, these flies are characterized by patterned wings and association with plants. The genus has been recorded from the United States, including Vermont.
Inuromaesa is a genus of tephritid fruit flies. Published records provide detailed natural-history information for at least one species, Inuromaesa maura, rather than a genus-wide account. That species is reported from parts of Europe and western and central Asia, and its larvae develop in the achenes of several plants now placed in Pentanema.
Jamesomyia is a small genus of tephritid fruit flies in the tribe Noeetini, established by Quisenberry in 1949. The genus contains at least one recognized species, Jamesomyia geminata, originally described by Loew in 1862. As a member of the Tephritidae family, species in this genus likely possess the characteristic wing patterning and fruit-associated biology typical of true fruit flies, though specific details remain poorly documented.
Lordiphosa is a genus of drosophilid flies. A review of Indian species described four new species, revised descriptions of two others, and supplied a key to the Indian fauna. The genus is reported from the tropical Oriental region north into the subarctic Palearctic, with greatest species richness in the subtropical Oriental region.
Magnimyiolia is a genus of tephritid flies (family Tephritidae), established by Shiraki in 1933. Taxonomic treatments recognize species in eastern and southern Asia, including species described from China and India.
Mesoclanis is a genus of tephritid fruit flies; the GBIF Backbone currently lists nine accepted species. Genus-keyed GBIF records are concentrated in South Africa, with additional records in Australia, Lesotho, and Mozambique. Research on two species, M. polana and M. magnipalpis, documents larvae feeding in the developing seeds of Chrysanthemoides monilifera. In Australia, introduced M. polana has also been observed pollinating Bitou Bush flowers, showing that a seed-feeding fly used in weed control can have a second, unexpected effect.
Myoleja is a genus of fruit flies in the family Tephritidae. Published treatments include North American species and a species collected in Turkey and the Russian Caucasus; one 2006 key recognized five species, a historical count rather than a current total. Identification is technical: a genus key is available, and detailed wing patterns and genital structures are used in species-level work. A study of Myoleja lucida examined mate choice in a lekking species, but that behavior should not be generalized to every member of the genus.
Myopites is a genus of fruit flies in the family Tephritidae. GBIF's backbone currently lists 17 accepted species. Two species, M. inulaedyssentericae and M. stylatus, were recorded as new for Morocco in a national checklist. Natural-history details are clearest for M. stylatus, a gall-forming example associated with the flower heads of Dittrichia viscosa.
Myopitini is a tribe of fruit flies within the family Tephritidae, subfamily Tephritinae. The tribe comprises approximately eleven genera, including the well-known genus Urophora. Members are small to medium-sized flies, many of which are associated with plants in the family Asteraceae. The tribe has a primarily Palearctic distribution with some genera extending into other regions.
Neoceratitis is a genus of fruit flies in the family Tephritidae. GBIF currently lists eight accepted species, while a 2012 revision treated six, so the count depends on the taxonomic source and date. The genus has a formal species key and illustrated redescriptions. The best-studied examples include crop-associated species, but their host use and behavior should not be assumed for every member of the genus.
Neosphaeniscus is a genus of tephritid fruit flies in the family Tephritidae. GBIF recognizes two species, N. flexuosus and N. m-nigrum. In Patagonia, Argentina, researchers documented N. m-nigrum developing in the flower heads of the native shrub Chuquiraga avellanedae; this was the first reported host-plant record for the genus. The cited material does not establish a field identification for the genus.
Oedicarena is a genus of fruit flies in the family Tephritidae, established by Loew in 1873. The genus contains five described species: O. beameri, O. latifrons, O. nigra, O. persuasa, and O. tetanops. As tephritids, members of this genus likely develop in plant material, though specific host associations remain poorly documented.
Oedosphenella is a genus of tephritid fruit flies. A recent revision recognizes four species and provides a key that separates them using wing patterns, the scutellum, and abdominal color. The keyed species are recorded from Madeira, the Canary Islands, South Africa, and Lesotho. The genus was redefined to include the species formerly placed in Bevismyia.
Oxyna is a genus of tephritid fruit flies (Tephritidae) comprising at least 20 described species. Members of this genus are associated with Asteraceae host plants, with some species studied for their potential as biological control agents against invasive weeds. The genus has been documented in northern Europe including Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
