Umbelliferae
Guides
Psila rosae
carrot fly, carrot rust fly
Psila rosae, commonly known as the carrot fly or carrot rust fly, is a dipteran pest of cultivated umbelliferous crops. Adults orient to host plants using volatile chemical cues from carrot foliage, with strong electroantennogram responses to propenylbenzenes such as trans-asarone and trans-methylisoeugenol. Larvae feed on carrot roots, causing characteristic mining damage that reduces crop quality and yield. The species has a broad geographic distribution spanning Europe, Asia, North America, and New Zealand. Overwintering occurs as both larvae and pupae, with temperature-dependent diapause in pupae contributing to population synchronization and the potential for multiple generations per year.