Identification
ground color of thorax brown; apex of cell r2+3 with 2 marginal hyaline spots
Range
southeastern Canada south to Florida, Mexico, and the Bahamas
Habitat
fields, waste places, wherever the host plant grows
Season
adults appear from June through September
Food
larvae feed on a single species, Common Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)
Life Cycle
one generation per year; overwinters as larva in seeds of host plant; pupates in spring
See Also
Two
Euaresta species with similar wing patterns (
bellula, stelligera), have a western North American distribution and do not occur in the east. A third species (
E. stigmatica) does not occur east of Michigan.
Internet References
live adult image plus wing pattern, description, distribution, biology (The Diptera Site, US Dept. Agriculture)
pinned adult image (Insects of Cedar Creek, Minnesota)
