Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Tephritidae ID => Terellia tussilaginis
Posted by tristram on 08-07-2012 20:49
#1
I think this looks like
Terellia tussilaginis but it was on a thistle (
Cirsium) rather than its normal hostplant burdock (
Arctium). However, I. M. White does list
Cirsium as a "confirmed but not normal" host for
T. tussilaginis.
Can anyone confirm that this fly is
T. tussilaginis?
Edited by tristram on 07-08-2012 19:00
Posted by tristram on 08-07-2012 20:50
#2
Side view:
Posted by Nosferatumyia on 08-07-2012 21:23
#3
The female certainly feeds or looks for the better smelling plant (a burdock). Certainly larvae of T. tussilaginis do not live in thistle flower heads. This gal just "opened a wrong door".
Edited by Nosferatumyia on 08-07-2012 21:24
Posted by tristram on 08-07-2012 22:11
#4
Thank you Valery. I did look around for burdock but there was none nearby. The nearest was between 300 and 400m away and on that I could only find
Tephritis bardanae.
Posted by Nosferatumyia on 09-07-2012 15:44
#5
The fly could emerge from a seed brought on pants or dog's tail and then find a flower head more or less fitting it needed. Or a burdock was here the last year only and now is just a rosette.
Terellia tussilaginis follows always AFTER
Tephritis bardanae phenologically, as it needs fully grown flower heads rather than half-sized buds (as
T. b. does)
Posted by Nosferatumyia on 09-07-2012 15:48
#6
The fly could emerge from a seed brought on pants or dog's tail and then find a flower head more or less fitting it needed. Or a burdock was here the last year only and now is just a rosette.
Terellia tussilaginis follows always AFTER
Tephritis bardanae phenologically, as it needs fully grown flower heads rather than half-sized buds (as
T. b. does)