Tephritidae
Guides
Trupanea nigricornis
Trupanea nigricornis is a species of fruit fly in the family Tephritidae, originally described as Urellia nigricornis by Coquillett in 1899. The species belongs to the large genus Trupanea, which comprises numerous species of tephritid flies. It is known from the United States and Mexico. As with other members of Tephritidae, it is likely associated with plants, though specific host associations for this species remain poorly documented.
Trupanea vicina
Marigold Fruit Fly
Trupanea vicina is a species of tephritid fruit fly in the genus Trupanea, family Tephritidae. It is commonly known as the Marigold Fruit Fly. The species was originally described by Wulp in 1900 under the basionym Urellia vicina. As a member of the Tephritidae family, it belongs to a group of flies commonly referred to as fruit flies or peacock flies, many of which are associated with plants and have economic significance in agriculture.
Trypeta
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.
Trypeta fractura
Trypeta fractura is a species of fruit fly in the family Tephritidae, first described by Coquillett in 1902. The genus Trypeta belongs to the subfamily Trypetinae, a group characterized by distinctive wing patterns used in species identification. As with other tephritid fruit flies, T. fractura likely exhibits the family's typical wing patterning, though specific details about its biology remain poorly documented in available literature.
Trypetinae
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
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.
Urophora affinis
Knapweed Gall Fly
Urophora affinis is a tephritid fruit fly native to Eurasia that was introduced to North America as a biological control agent for spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa) and diffuse knapweed (C. diffusa). The species forms galls in knapweed seed heads, where larvae develop and reduce seed production by up to 95%. First released in Montana in 1973, it has established populations but remains concentrated near release sites with limited dispersal ability. The fly is multivoltine, with adults emerging in June and larvae overwintering in seed heads.
Urophora cardui
Canada thistle gall fly, Thistle Stem Gall Fly
Urophora cardui is a tephritid fruit fly native to Central Europe, from the United Kingdom east to near the Crimea and from Sweden south to the Mediterranean. It has been introduced to North America as a biological control agent for Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense), an invasive weed. The species forms stem galls on its host plant and has been extensively studied for its population genetics, dispersal patterns, and interactions with parasitoids. Despite establishment in eastern Canada, its impact on host weed populations has remained limited.
Utetes
Utetes is a genus of braconid wasps in the subfamily Opiinae, comprising larva-pupal parasitoids of tephritid fruit flies. Species such as U. anastrephae and U. tabellariae are native to the Americas and have been studied for their potential in biological control of agricultural pests. These wasps develop internally within host larvae and exhibit competitive advantages over sympatric parasitoid species.
Valentibulla
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.
Valentibulla californica
Elliptical Stem Gall Fly
Valentibulla californica is a species of fruit fly in the family Tephritidae, commonly known as the Elliptical Stem Gall Fly. The species was described by Coquillett in 1894. Like other members of the genus Valentibulla, it is associated with gall formation on plant stems. The species is found in the United States, particularly in California as suggested by its specific epithet.
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
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.
Xanthomyia nora
Xanthomyia nora is a species of fruit fly in the family Tephritidae, described by Doane in 1899. It belongs to the tribe Eutretini within the subfamily Tephritinae. The genus Xanthomyia comprises small to medium-sized tephritid flies, though specific ecological details for X. nora remain poorly documented in available literature.
Zaeucoilini
Zaeucoilini is a tribe of parasitoid wasps within the subfamily Eucoilinae (Hymenoptera: Figitidae), formally established in 2008 based on phylogenetic analysis and morphological characters. The tribe comprises twelve genera of Neotropical eucoilines previously allied with the informal Zaeucoila genus group. Members are primarily parasitoids of agromyzid leaf-mining flies, with at least one lineage having shifted to parasitizing tephritid fruit flies.
Zonosemata
Zonosemata is a genus of tephritid fruit flies in the family Tephritidae, established by Benjamin in 1934. The genus comprises seven described species: six from North America and one from South America. At least one species, Zonosemata vittigera, has been documented as developing within the fruits of Solanum elaeagnifolium (silverleaf nightshade), a noxious weed, suggesting potential for biological control applications. The genus is classified within the subtribe Carpomyina alongside Rhagoletis and Carpomya.
Zonosemata electa
Pepper Maggot
Zonosemata electa, commonly known as the pepper maggot, is a tephritid fruit fly native to North America. The species is an agricultural pest whose larvae develop inside peppers and related crops. Adults are small flies with patterned wings characteristic of the family Tephritidae. The species was first described by Thomas Say in 1830 under the basionym Trypeta electa.
Zonosemata vittigera
silverleaf nightshade fruit fly
Zonosemata vittigera is a species of tephritid fruit fly in the family Tephritidae, native to North America. It is known primarily as a specialist herbivore associated with silverleaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium), a weedy Solanaceous plant. The species has been studied for its potential role in biological control of this invasive plant. Like other tephritids, it likely exhibits characteristic wing patterning and larval development within host plant tissues.