Species Urophora affinis - Knapweed Gall Fly

Classification · Size · Range · Life Cycle · Remarks · See Also · Internet References · Works Cited

Knapweed Gall Fly - Urophora affinis - female

Missoula Tephritidae? - Urophora affinis - female

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Diptera (Flies)

No Taxon ("Acalyptratae")

Superfamily Tephritoidea

Family Tephritidae (Fruit Flies)

Subfamily Tephritinae

Tribe Myopitini

Genus Urophora

Species affinis (Knapweed Gall Fly)

Size

3-4 mm

Range

native to Europe, introduced in NA

Life Cycle

overwinters as larvae in the seedheads. Pupation is in the spring, adults emerge in mid to late spring. After mating, eggs are laid between bracts on closed flower buds.

Remarks

Introduced from Europe in 1971 to control knapweed (Centaurea spp.), commercially available in some states.

See Also

U. quadrifasciata has more extensive wing markings

Internet References

Fact sheets: by R. Lang(1), by J. Dawson(2)

Cherry fruit fly lookalikes, by Kaeb et al.

Works Cited

1.	Biological control: A guide to natural enemies in North America

2.	Breitenfeldt T., ed. (1999-) Montana war on weeds

Contributed by Martin Hauser on 16 October, 2006 - 6:10pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Vox Sciurorum, v belov
Last updated 12 October, 2016 - 7:31am

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2025 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Printer Friendly Version