Four-barred Knapweed Gall Fly

Urophora quadrifasciata

''Urophora quadrifasciata'' is a species of tephritid or fruit flies in the genus ''Urophora'' of the family Tephritidae. The host plant for the larvae is usually a knapweed , and because of this, it is used to control ''Centaurea stoebe''.
Four-barred Knapweed Gall Fly - Urophora quadrifasciata TL: ~2 mm. Native to Europe, introduced in North America to control knapweed (Centaurea sp.). Females lay eggs in half-grown flowers using their ovipositors. Habitat: Attracted to a light; semi-rural area Four-barred Knapweed Gall Fly,Geotagged,Summer,United States,Urophora,Urophora quadrifasciata,fly,gall fly,tephritidae

Distribution

Europe & Kazakhstan, North Africa & Iran; introduced North America & Australia.

References:

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Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderDiptera
FamilyTephritidae
GenusUrophora
SpeciesU. quadrifasciata
Photographed in
United States of America