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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Paraterelliina is a subtribe of fruit flies within the family Tephritidae, established by Korneyev in 1995. It belongs to the tribe Carpomyini in the subfamily Trypetinae. The subtribe contains genera of small to medium-sized tephritid flies, though the constituent genera and species-level composition remain incompletely documented in public sources.
Scaptodrosophila is a large genus of fruit flies in the family Drosophilidae, comprising over 250 described species distributed across multiple continents. The genus exhibits considerable diversity in Australia, where multiple species groups have been studied for their courtship behaviors and host-plant associations. Some species are specialized flower-breeders, with documented cases of host-race formation on Hibiscus species. The genus has been subject to taxonomic revision in multiple regions including India and Australia.
Steganinae is the smaller of two subfamilies in the fruit fly family Drosophilidae, established by Hendel in 1917. The subfamily is monophyletic but lacks a single diagnostic morphological character distinguishing it from the larger Drosophilinae. Members display diverse feeding behaviors, with some species exhibiting zoophilic habits unusual for drosophilid flies. The subfamily includes approximately 350 described species across multiple tribes and subtribes, though phylogenetic relationships remain partially unresolved.
Stenopa is a genus of fruit flies in the family Tephritidae, established by Loew in 1873. The genus contains three described species distributed in the Nearctic and Neotropical regions. It belongs to the subtribe Cecidocharina within the tribe Dithrycini. Very few observations of this genus exist in citizen science databases.
Sunflower maggot flies
Strauzia is a genus of fruit flies in the family Tephritidae, first described by Robineau-Desvoidy in 1830. The genus contains approximately 12 described species, including the economically notable Strauzia longipennis (sunflower maggot), a pest of cultivated sunflower. Some species within the genus exhibit complex patterns of morphological variation and host association that have led to taxonomic instability, with evidence suggesting incipient speciation in certain populations.
Tephritinae is a subfamily of tephritid fruit flies comprising approximately 2,000 described species across 11 recognized tribes and several unplaced genera. Members are predominantly non-frugivorous, with many species specialized on flowerheads of Asteraceae. The subfamily exhibits a global distribution and is notable for widespread associations with co-evolved bacterial symbionts of the genus Candidatus Stammerula.
Terellia is a genus of fruit flies in the family Tephritidae, comprising approximately 60 described species distributed across the Palearctic region. Species in this genus are primarily associated with thistles and related plants in the Asteraceae family, with larvae developing in flower heads (capitula) of their host plants. The genus includes several species groups (virens group, amberboae group, tarbinskiorum group) distinguished by morphological characters and host associations. Terellia ruficauda has been used as a biological control agent for Canada thistle.
Tomoplagia is a genus of tephritid fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) comprising approximately 60 described species. The genus is primarily Neotropical in distribution, with species recorded from Brazil and other South American regions. Larvae develop within plant tissues of Asteraceae, with documented associations including flower heads and stem galls on members of the tribe Vernonieae. Host specialization varies among species, ranging from monophagy to oligophagy on related host plants.
Trupanea is a genus of tephritid fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) established by Schrank in 1795. Recent taxonomic revisions have synonymized the genera Celidosphenella and Melanotrypana with Trupanea, transferring multiple species to this genus. Species within Trupanea are primarily associated with Asteraceae host plants, with larvae developing in flower heads. The genus has a broad geographic distribution including the Neotropical region, North America, Hawaii, Europe, and North Africa.
fruit flies
Trypeta is a genus of tephritid fruit flies in the family Tephritidae, established by Meigen in 1803. The genus contains approximately 90 described species distributed across the Holarctic region, with particular diversity in North America and Asia. New World species have been systematically revised, revealing a monophyletic group that diversified primarily in the southwestern United States and Mesoamerica. Species exhibit considerable morphological variation, particularly in wing pattern and body coloration.
Trypetinae is a subfamily of tephritid fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) comprising seven tribes and approximately 1,000 described species. The subfamily includes economically significant pest genera such as Anastrepha, Rhagoletis, and Toxotrypana, as well as numerous non-pest species. Members are characterized by their association with fruit and plant tissues, with larvae typically developing in fruits, seeds, or stems. The group has a cosmopolitan distribution with highest diversity in tropical and subtropical regions.
Trypetini is a tribe of true fruit flies within the subfamily Trypetinae (family Tephritidae). Comparative morphological studies of over 250 tephritid species established this group as monophyletic, comprising two subtribes: Trypetina and Chetostomatina. The classification was originally developed in a 1992 dissertation and subsequently adopted with modifications by major tephritid publications. The tribe has a global distribution.
Valentibulla is a genus of true fruit flies (Tephritidae) established by Foote & Blanc in 1959. The genus exhibits sexual dimorphism in which females are larger than males, but males possess enlarged forefemora used in mating. Male forefemur size predicts copulatory success. The genus is part of the diverse tephritid radiation, though detailed biological information remains limited.
Xanthomyia is a genus of fruit flies in the family Tephritidae, first described by Phillips in 1923. The genus belongs to the tribe Eutretini within the subfamily Tephritinae. Like other tephritids, members of this genus are characterized by patterned wings and are likely associated with plant hosts, though specific biological details remain poorly documented. The genus is rarely encountered, with limited observations and taxonomic study.
Fig Flies
Zaprionus is a genus of fruit flies in the family Drosophilidae, distinguished by conspicuous white longitudinal stripes across the head and thorax. The genus is divided into two subgenera based on stripe number: Zaprionus (even number of stripes) and Anaprionus (odd number of stripes). Species occur primarily in Africa and southern Asia, with several species showing invasive expansion. The genus is taxonomically nested within the paraphyletic genus Drosophila.