Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Tephritid, UK
Posted by tristanba on 30-01-2008 17:06
#1
Hi,
this Tephritid swept from Ivy today in my north London garden. Any help with identification much appreciated.
Best wishes
Tristan
Posted by tristanba on 30-01-2008 17:08
#2
second image
Edited by tristanba on 30-01-2008 17:08
Posted by amalia_raluca on 30-01-2008 17:45
#3
could it be a Tephritis sp.?maybe bardanae?
Posted by Andre on 30-01-2008 18:25
#4
What is known about overwintering Tephritidae (or very very early ones)?...:o
Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 30-01-2008 18:59
#5
I've seen some tephritids these days. :P
Posted by Nosferatumyia on 30-01-2008 20:00
#6
This is
Tephritis formosa Lw., which attacks flower heads of
Sonchus oleraceus, and in England also
S. arvensis (but not on the continent!).
The flies of the genus
Tephritis always overwinter as adults - and you can meet some of them, usually T. dilacerata and T. bardanae, on your windows. Similarly to nymphalid flies, they hide in various holes, under dead leaves, etc. The other common overwintering adult fruit flies are various
Campiglossa.
Tephritis spp. often hide in juniper crowns in Southern regions, when the wether is hot. They also are among the few hilltopping fruit flies.
Posted by tristanba on 30-01-2008 23:55
#7
Many thanks Valery for the identification and this further information - I had no idea that these flies overwinter as adults.
Best wishes
Tristan
Posted by John Smit on 31-01-2008 09:57
#8
Here in the more temperate regions (northwest Europe) they tend to use pine trees (Pinus) to overwinter, so on sunny days during winter you can find the adults on heath (Calluna) sometimes several species, I managed to find up to seven in three different genera in Januari some years ago! No idea though whether they use Juniperus as well here..
Regarding the ID, I of course totally agree with Valery!
John
Posted by Nosferatumyia on 31-01-2008 10:10
#9
John, thanks - indeed, here in Ukraine,
Tephritis and
Campiglossa are common on heath in the autumn, too. That's just my more recent impression from sweeping junipers in Middle Asia and Switzerland (as U remember, it brought up
Rhagoletis flavigenualis new to Europe, but also many-many-many
Tephritis specimens...
Posted by John Smit on 31-01-2008 10:58
#10
Yes I do recall the Juniperus that yielded R. flavigenualis in Zwitserland ;). Good memories of the 20-odd Tephritid workers on that Mountain there in Visperteminen!
Genera I tend to find on Calluna in autumn (winter) here in the Netherlands are Campiglossa, Dioxyna, Ensina, Sphenella and Tephritis. Not sure though if Ensina and Sphenella do overwinter!
John
Posted by Nosferatumyia on 31-01-2008 11:59
#11
John Smit wrote:
Not sure though if Ensina and Sphenella do overwinter!
They are polyvoltine, and some specimens of the last generation emerge late in October!
Posted by Kahis on 31-01-2008 13:11
#12
Just echoing the fact that Calluna is a good 'marker' for overwintering tephritids here too. Apparently the flies flies for quite a distance when seeking overwintering spots, since I often find several species at acidic peat bog margins where the host plants are definitely absent.
They are on the wing as early as in March, when the heather is barely exposed and there is still plenty of snow to ski on! The flies skip from bush to bush. Unlike heleomyzids and other 'real winter flies', the tephritis don't land on snow if they can avoid it.