Tephritidae

Tephritidae
Euaresta aequalis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Section:	Schizophora
Subsection:	Acalyptratae
Superfamily:	Tephritoidea
Family:	Tephritidae Newman, 1834
Genera
Bactrocera Ceratitis Paracantha Rhagoletis Tephritis Urophora Euaresta Xyphosia hundreds more
Diversity
500 genera, about 5,000 species

Tephritidae is one of two fly families referred to as "fruit flies." Tephritidae does not include the biological model organisms of the genus Drosophila, which is often called the "common fruit fly". Drosophila is, instead, the type genus of the second "fruit fly" family, Drosophilidae. There are nearly 5,000 described species of tephritid fruit fly, categorized in almost 500 genera. Description, recategorization, and genetic analysis are constantly changing the taxonomy of this family. To distinguish them from the Drosophilidae, the Tephritidae are sometimes called peacock flies.

Tephritid fruit flies are of major importance in agriculture. Some have negative effects, some positive. Various species of fruit fly cause damage to fruit and other plant crops. The genus Bactrocera is of worldwide notoriety for its destructive impact on agriculture. The olive fruit fly (B. oleae), for example, feeds on only one plant: the wild or commercially cultivated olive. It has the capacity to ruin 100% of an olive crop by damaging the fruit. On the other hand, some fruit flies are used as agents of biological control, thereby reducing the populations of pest species.

Several species of the fruit fly genus Urophora are questionable in their effectiveness as control agents against rangeland-destroying noxious weeds such as starthistles and knapweeds.^[1]

Most fruit flies lay their eggs in plant tissues, where the larvae find their first food upon emerging. The adults usually have a very short lifespan. Some live for less than a week.

Fruit flies use an open circulatory system as their cardiovascular system.

Their behavioral ecology is of great interest to biologists. Some fruit flies have extensive mating rituals or territorial displays. Many are brightly colored and visually showy. Some fruit flies show Batesian mimicry, bearing the colors and markings of dangerous insects such as wasps because it helps the fruit flies to avoid predators; the flies, of course, lack stingers.

Systematics

The Tephritidae are grouped into several subfamilies:^[2]

• Blepharoneurinae (5 genera, 34 species)
• Dacinae (41 genera, 1066 species)
• Phytalmiinae (95 genera, 331 species)
• Tachiniscinae (8 genera, 18 species)
• Tephritinae (211 genera, 1859 species)
• Trypetinae (118 genera, 1012 species)

Three genera with 32 species are not included in any subfamily (incertae sedis).

Gallery

male Urophora cardui	Strauzia longipennis	Euaresta aequalis	Procecidochares atra
Acidia cognata	Cheatostomella cylindrica	Xyphosia miliaria	Eurosta solidaginis Goldenrod Gall Fly
Anastrepha ludens

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tephritidae

• Biological Control of Tephritidae
• Diptera.info images
• Goldenrod Gall Flies (Eurosta spp.) Species Profile
• Goldenrod Gall Fly
• Images at BugGuide
• Insect Pest Control Sub program (IPC)
• Fruit Fly Euaresta aequalis Large format diagnostic photos including courtship ritual
• Pest Fruit Flies of the World
• Tephritidae Information from the Diptera Site
• Tephritid Workers Database (TWD)
• Tephritid Workers of Europe Africa and the Middle East (TEAM)

On the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site

• Anastrepha edentata, a fruit fly
• Anastrepha fraterculus , South American fruit fly
• Anastrepha grandis, South American cucurbit fruit fly
• Anastrepha interrupta, Schoepfia fruit fly
• Anastrepha ludens, Mexican fruit fly
• Anastrepha nigrifascia, a fruit fly
• Anastrepha obliqua, West Indian fruit fly
• Anastrepha ocresia, a fruit fly
• Anastrepha serpentina, sapote fruit fly
• Anastrepha striata, guava fruit fly
• Anastrepha suspensa, Caribbean fruit fly
• Bactrocera correcta , guava fruit fly
• Bactrocera cucurbitae, melon fly
• Bactrocera dorsalis, oriental fruit fly
• Bactrocera oleae, olive fruit fly
• Bactrocera tryoni, Queensland fruit fly
• Bactrocera tsuneonis, Japanese orange fly
• Ceratitis capitata, Mediterranean fruit fly
• Ceratitis cosyra, mango fruit fly
• Ceratitis rosa, Natal fruit fly
• Dacus ciliatus, lesser pumpkin fly
• Rhagoletis cingulata, eastern cherry fruit fly
• Rhagoletis pomonella, apple maggot fly
• Toxotrypana curvicauda, papaya fruit fly