Species Tritoxa flexa - Black Onion Fly

Classification · Size · Identification · Range · Life Cycle · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Picture-Winged Fly (Tritoxa sp.?) - Tritoxa flexa

Ulidiidae, Tritoxa flexa, black onion fly - Tritoxa flexa

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Diptera (Flies)

No Taxon (Acalyptratae)

Superfamily Tephritoidea

Family Ulidiidae (Picture-winged Flies)

Subfamily Otitinae

Tribe Cephaliini

Genus Tritoxa

Species flexa (Black Onion Fly)

Size

circa 6-7 mm

Identification

Bold wing pattern and very dark--black.

Range

Much of North America.

Life Cycle

Tritoxa flexa is known as the "Black Onion Fly" and is associated with cultivated garlic.

Print References

Marshall, color photograph--496.5 (1)

Lutz, illustrates T. flexa, 1st ed., plate LXXI, 3rd. ed., plate 54, size bar indicates length circa 8 mm. (2)

Swan and Papp, pg. 624, fig. 1339, illustrate T. flexa, give size as 0.25 inches, or 6.4 mm (3)

Internet References

North Carolina State Entomology Collection lists two species, both occurring in that state, with number pinned: T. flexa (21), T. incurva (64).

Preliminary Checklist of Minnesota Diptera lists T. flexa and T. incurva.

Works Cited

1.	Insects: Their Natural History And Diversity: With a Photographic Guide to Insects of Eastern North America By Stephen A. Marshall

2.	Field Book of Insects of the United States and Canada, Aiming to Answer Common Questions, By Frank Eugene Lutz

3.	The Common Insects of North America By Lester A. Swan, Charles S. Papp

Contributed by Cotinis on 21 July, 2006 - 5:00pm
Last updated 4 November, 2006 - 9:18pm

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