Tephritid
Guides
Aciurina
Aciurina is a genus of gall-inducing tephritid flies distributed in western North America. Species in this genus induce distinct morphological galls on host plants in the Asteraceae family, particularly genera such as Chrysothamnus, Gutierrezia, and Baccharis. The genus has been taxonomically challenging due to overlapping wing patterns among species, but gall morphology provides reliable diagnostic characters. Several species are unusually abundant in the southwestern United States and serve as ecosystem engineers that support complex arthropod communities.
Aciurina bigeloviae
Cotton-gall Tephritid
Aciurina bigeloviae is a gall-inducing tephritid fly native to western North America that forms distinctive white, woolly 'cotton' galls on Ericameria nauseosa (rabbitbrush), specifically the variety graveolens. The species was originally described as Trypeta bigeloviae by Cockerell in 1890. It exhibits Type I wing pattern morphology and produces spherical cotton galls that serve as microhabitats for complex arthropod communities. The species is sister to A. trixa, with which it occurs sympatrically in New Mexico, though the two species produce markedly different gall types.
Anastrepha
fruit flies, tephritid fruit flies
Anastrepha is a highly diverse genus of tephritid fruit flies native to the American tropics and subtropics, comprising over 300 described species. The genus includes nine major agricultural pest species that inflict substantial damage on commercial fruit crops including citrus, mango, guava, and papaya. Species exhibit variation in oviposition behavior, with females depositing eggs in developing fruit, mature fruit, or seeds depending on the species. The genus has been reorganized taxonomically to include species formerly placed in Toxotrypana, and contains notable cryptic species complexes such as the Anastrepha fraterculus group.
Anastrepha suspensa
Caribbean fruit fly, Greater Antillean fruit fly, guava fruit fly, Caribfly
Anastrepha suspensa is a tephritid fruit fly native to the Caribbean region and now established in Florida. Adults are 11–14 mm long with yellow-orange-brown coloration and distinctive wing venation patterns. The species is a significant agricultural pest, infesting over 100 host plants with particular preference for guava, Cayenne cherry, and citrus. Females possess a serrated ovipositor for cutting into fruit to deposit eggs. Mating occurs through lek formation on host fruit, with males establishing territories and producing acoustic signals through wing vibrations.
Ceratitis
Mediterranean fruit flies
Ceratitis is a genus of tephritid fruit flies comprising approximately 80 species, with Ceratitis capitata (Mediterranean fruit fly) being the most economically significant and widely studied. The genus is organized into six subgenera: Acropteromma, Ceratalaspis, Ceratitis, Hoplolophomyia, Pardalaspis, and Pterandrus. Multiple Ceratitis species are major agricultural pests, particularly in Africa, the Mediterranean region, and areas where they have been introduced. The genus has been extensively studied for sterile insect technique applications, with C. capitata serving as a model organism for biological control research.
Dyseuaresta sobrinata
Dyseuaresta sobrinata is a small tephritid fruit fly described by Wulp in 1900. Adults measure 3–5 mm in length. The species occurs from the United States south to Costa Rica. It belongs to the genus Dyseuaresta within the tribe Tephritini.
Euaresta aequalis
burr-seed fly
Euaresta aequalis is a North American fruit fly in the family Tephritidae, commonly known as the burr-seed fly. It is a specialist herbivore whose only known host is the common cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium). Females possess large ovipositors adapted for penetrating the hard, spiny burr capsules to deposit eggs. The species was introduced to Australia in the 1930s as a biological control agent for invasive cocklebur but established only at low levels and proved ineffective. It is univoltine, with adults active from mid-July to mid-August.
Euaresta bella
Common Ragweed Fruit Fly
Euaresta bella is a tephritid fruit fly species commonly known as the Common Ragweed Fruit Fly. It is specialized on Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed) as its sole known larval host plant. The species has a univoltine life cycle, producing one generation annually. It occurs in North America with documented records from the United States including Vermont.
Euaresta festiva
Euaresta festiva is a species of fruit fly in the family Tephritidae, first described by Loew in 1862. The genus Euaresta is associated with plants in the genera Ambrosia, Xanthium, and Dicoria, where the flies feed on flowers and seeds. This species belongs to a group of tephritid flies that have evolved specialized relationships with their host plants.
Eutreta caliptera
Eutreta caliptera is a species of fruit fly in the family Tephritidae, a group commonly known as true fruit flies or peacock flies. The species was first described by Thomas Say in 1830 under the basionym Trypeta caliptera. It belongs to the genus Eutreta, which includes gall-forming species associated with plants in the Asteraceae family. Relatively few detailed studies have focused specifically on this species compared to other tephritids.
Gymnocarena bicolor
Gymnocarena bicolor is a species of tephritid fruit fly in the family Tephritidae, described by Foote in 1960. It belongs to the genus Gymnocarena within the tribe Xyphosiini. The species is known from limited observations, with records indicating a distribution in Mexico and the United States.
Icterica seriata
Icterica seriata is a species of fruit fly in the family Tephritidae. It belongs to the genus Icterica, a group of tephritid flies distributed in North America. The species was first described by Loew in 1862. Like other members of Tephritidae, it is characterized by distinctive wing patterning used in species recognition.
Neotephritis rava
Neotephritis rava is a tephritid fruit fly species described by Foote in 1960. The genus Neotephritis includes species associated with sunflower hosts, though specific biological details for N. rava remain poorly documented. This species is known only from limited observations in the United States.
Procecidochares atra
Goldenrod Brussels Sprout Gall Fly
Procecidochares atra is a gall-inducing fruit fly in the family Tephritidae that forms distinctive galls on goldenrod plants (Solidago species). The species is native to North America and has been documented in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Its galls are most commonly found on Solidago altissima, S. gigantea, and S. rugosa.
Procecidochares flavipes
Procecidochares flavipes is a species of tephritid fruit fly in the genus Procecidochares, family Tephritidae. It was described by Aldrich in 1929. The species belongs to a genus known for gall-inducing behavior on plants, though specific details for this species are limited. It occurs in North America, with records from the United States and Mexico.
Procecidochares minuta
Procecidochares minuta is a species of tephritid fruit fly described by Snow in 1894. It belongs to the genus Procecidochares, a group of gall-inducing flies within the family Tephritidae. The species is known from North America, specifically the United States. Like other members of its genus, it likely induces galls on host plants, though specific details for this species remain poorly documented.
Rhagoletis basiola
rosehip fly
Rhagoletis basiola is a tephritid fruit fly native to North America, commonly known as the rosehip fly. Females oviposit in rosehip fruits and deposit host-marking pheromones post-oviposition, a behavior that deters conspecific competitors but attracts parasitoids. Egg production imposes measurable survival costs on adult females, representing a documented life history trade-off.
Rhagoletis zephyria
snowberry maggot, western cherry fruit fly
Rhagoletis zephyria is a tephritid fruit fly native to western North America, commonly known as the snowberry maggot. It is a sibling species of the economically significant apple maggot (R. pomonella), with which it shares substantial morphological similarity and a history of occasional hybridization. The species is specialized on snowberry (Symphoricarpos spp.) as its primary host, and exhibits distinct adult eclosion timing that contributes to reproductive isolation from R. pomonella. R. zephyria is not considered an agricultural pest, though its visual similarity to R. pomonella creates identification challenges for regulatory monitoring.
Strauzia noctipennis
Strauzia noctipennis is a species of fruit fly in the family Tephritidae, described by Stoltzfus in 1988. It belongs to the genus Strauzia, a group of tephritid flies whose larvae typically develop within stems of Asteraceae plants. The specific epithet "noctipennis" (night-winged) may allude to dark wing markings or coloration. Like other members of this genus, it is likely associated with sunflower or related composite plants, though specific host records for this species remain undocumented in available sources.
Tephritis ovatipennis
Tephritis ovatipennis is a species of true fruit fly (Tephritidae) described by Foote in 1960. It belongs to the genus Tephritis, a group of gall-forming or stem-boring flies associated with Asteraceae host plants. The species is known from North America, specifically recorded in the United States and Canada. As with most Tephritis species, detailed biological information remains limited.
Tomoplagia
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 californica
Trupanea californica is a species of tephritid fruit fly in the family Tephritidae, described by Malloch in 1942. It is distributed in the United States and Canada. Like other members of its genus, it belongs to a group of flies commonly known as fruit flies or peacock flies, many of which are associated with plants. The species is part of a large genus within a family known for significant agricultural impact, though specific details about this particular species remain limited.
Trupanea conjuncta
Trupanea conjuncta is a species of tephritid fruit fly described by Adams in 1904. It was originally described under the genus Urellia before being transferred to Trupanea. The species is known from a very limited number of observations and published records. Like other members of Tephritidae, it likely develops in plant tissues, though specific host associations remain undocumented.
Trupanea pseudovicina
Trupanea pseudovicina is a species of tephritid fruit fly described by Hering in 1942. The species is known from very few observations and limited published records. It belongs to a genus whose members are commonly associated with plants in the Asteraceae family.
Trupanea wheeleri
Trupanea wheeleri is a species of fruit fly in the family Tephritidae, first described by Curran in 1932. It belongs to the genus Trupanea, a group of tephritid flies commonly known as gall flies or picture-winged flies. The species is known from North America, specifically recorded from Canada and the United States. Like other members of its genus, it likely develops in plant galls, though specific host associations remain undocumented in the available literature.
Trypeta flaveola
Trypeta flaveola is a tephritid fruit fly described by Coquillett in 1899. The species is widely distributed across North America. Its larvae are leaf miners that develop within the leaves of several genera in the Asteraceae family. The species is part of the diverse genus Trypeta, which contains numerous leaf-mining fruit flies.
Urophora
thistle gall flies, gall flies
Urophora is a genus of tephritid flies distributed across the Palaearctic Region, with species exhibiting close associations with Asteraceae plants. Larvae of many species induce galls on stems or other plant parts of thistles and related plants. The genus includes at least 13 species in Karaman Province, Türkiye alone, with new species continuing to be documented. Urophora cardui, a well-studied species, forms multi-chambered stem galls on Cirsium spp. and serves as host for multiple parasitoid wasps.
Xanthaciura insecta
Xanthaciura insecta is a species of tephritid fruit fly in the family Tephritidae. The species was originally described as Trypeta insecta by Loew in 1862 and later transferred to the genus Xanthaciura. It belongs to the subfamily Tephritinae and tribe Tephritini. As with other tephritid flies, adults likely have patterned wings characteristic of the family, though specific wing patterns for this species are not documented in the provided sources.
Xanthomyia platyptera
Xanthomyia platyptera is a small tephritid fruit fly described by Loew in 1873. Originally placed in the genus Trypeta, it is now classified in Xanthomyia within the tribe Eutretini. The species is known from the United States, with limited published documentation beyond taxonomic records.