Family TEPHRITIDAE
Compiler and date details
30 April 2002 - M.G. Elliott, Australian Museum, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Introduction
The Tephritidae, commonly referred to as fruit flies, are a large family of primarily phytophagous or saprophagous Diptera found in all regions of the world except Antarctica (White & Elson-Harris 1992; Norrbom et al. 1998). The Tephritidae comprise nearly 4300 species worldwide (Norrbom et al. 1998), with this catalogue recognising the Australian fauna as 275 species in 70 genera. The family contains species that are serious agricultural pests and research into the group has increased over the last three decades.
Tephritids range in body length from 1 to 35 mm, are often patterned in bright contrasting non-metallic colours and usually possess contrasting wing colouration (Hardy & Foote 1989; Norrbom et al. 1998). Females may often be identified by the large, exserted ovipositor, and both sexes often rotate the wings in fanning movements when at rest. Males of some species are readily collected through the use of Steiner traps baited with parapheromones such as methyl eugenol and cue lure, and both females and males can often be collected in McPhail traps utilising an ammonia or protein bait (Cunningham 1989).
A number of species, particularly those belonging to the genera Bactrocera, Dacus and Ceratitis are notorious economic pests, attacking fruit and vegetable crops. Bactrocera (Bactrocera) tryoni (the Queensland Fruit Fly) and Bactrocera (Afrodacus) jarvisi are pests in fruit crops throughout eastern and north-eastern Australia. Bactrocera (Austrodacus) cucumis (the Cucumber Fruit Fly) attacks tomato, papaya and cucurbits such as pumpkin, marrow, cucumber and rockmelon. The introduced Mediterranean Fruit Fly or Medfly, Ceratitis (Ceratitis) capitata, is a serious pest of crops worldwide and, although once widespread in eastern Australia, is now found only in Western Australia. White & Elson-Harris (1992) detailed the available knowledge on the host data of over 100 species worldwide, including keys and distributional data. Hancock et al. (2000) provided a list of hosts for the known species of Australian Tephritidae.
Although commonly termed fruit flies, a large proportion of the Tephritidae utilise a variety of host tissue other than fruit for the larval stage. Many of the phytophagous Tephritidae attack other portions of the host plant, including roots, stems, leaves, flowers and seeds (Hardy & Drew 1996; Norrbom et al. 1998). Saprophagous species have been recorded from dead wood, rotting fruit and decomposing bamboo shoots. A few species are beneficial to agriculture, being used as a biological control agent on weeds (White & Elson-Harris 1992) .
Mating behaviour is complex, diverse, elaborate (Dodson 2000; Headrick & Goeden 2000; Norrbom et al. 1998), and may involve the use of visual signals, sounds and pheromones. Oviposition may occur within, or on, the host tissue. Some species have been shown to use a pheromone to deter other females of the species from ovipositing in the same place. All larvae complete three instars before pupation in the host tissue or in the soil.
The higher classification of the family is unresolved and a number of different classifications have been proposed. The higher classification and generic arrangement used in this catalogue is an amalgam following the work of Korneyev (2000a), Korneyev (2000b), Drew & Hancock (2000), Norrbom et al. (1998) and Hancock (2000). The taxonomic arrangement of species is largely that of Norrbom et al. (1998), again with small changes reflected in subsequently published works.
The described Australian fauna comprises four of the six subfamilies of Tephritidae found worldwide. Information on the endemism of the Australian fauna is available only through extrapolation from data available on the species of the Australasian biogeographical region. The data of Norrbom, Carroll & Freidberg (1998) suggests a high degree of endemism for the generic and specific tephritid fauna of the Australasian bioregion, and therefore Australia. Introductions into the Australasian bioregion total 14 species, with seven accidental and seven intentional introductions.
The majority of the type material for species found in Australia is located at the Queensland Museum, with 125 type specimens or type series of the 356 primary types listed in this catalogue located there. ANIC, BMNH, USNM and the AM are all important depositories, each containing around 20 or more types or type series.
A great deal of information on Tephritidae is available on the Internet. An identification key to the pest species of NSW is available at the NSW Agriculture site http://www.agric.nsw.gov.au/Hort/ascu/fruitfly/fflyinde.htm. Data from the excellent Fruit Fly Expert Identification System and Systematic Information database is available online at http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/Diptera/diptera.htm. A catalogue of the Diptera of the Australasian and Oceanian regions is accessable at http://www.bishopmuseum.org/bishop/ento/aocat/, though the phylogenetic arrangement differs somewhat to that used in this catalogue. Information on current research and future research trends can be found at Tropical Fruit Fly Research Group (http://www.ens.gu.edu.au/fruitfly/welcome.htm), the Fruit Fly Research Centre (http://www.bio.usyd.edu.au/fruitfly/index.htm) and Pacific Fruit Fly Web (http://www.pacifly.org/). Many pdf files of recent papers can also be located through search engines such as Google (http://www.google.com).
Although recent efforts have clarified the associations within the group significantly, much work remains to be done on the phylogenetic relationships within the Tephritidae (Korneyev 2000a, Korneyev 2000b, Drew & Hancock 2000). Likewise, although host records and other data on the comparatively small number of harmful species is extensive, biological information on the rest of the group is patchy. Research focused on these areas would enhance our knowledge of these remarkable flies immeasurably.
General References
Colless, D.H. & McAlpine, D.K. 1991. Diptera. pp. 717-786 in CSIRO (ed.). The Insects of Australia. A textbook for students and research workers. Melbourne : Melbourne University Press Vol. 2 pp. 543-1137
Cunningham, R.T. 1989. Population Detection. pp. 169-173 in Robinson, A.S. & Hooper, G. (eds). World Crop Pests Volume 3B. Fruit Flies. Their Biology, Natural Enemies and Control. Amsterdam, The Netherlands : Elsevier 447 pp.
Dodson, G.N. 2000. Behaviour of the Phytalmiinae and the Evolution of Antlers in Tephritid Flies. pp. 175-184 in Aluja, M.A. & Norrbom, A.L. (eds). Fruit Flies (Tephritidae): Phylogeny and Evolution of Behaviour. Boca Raton, Florida, USA : CRC Press 944 pp.
Drew, R.A.I. 1989. The tropical fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae) of the Australasian and Oceanian regions. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 26: 1-521
Drew, R.A.I. & Hancock, D.L. 2000. Phylogeny of the Tribe Dacini (Dacinae) Based on Morphological, Distributional, and Biologial Data. pp. 491-504 in Aluja, M.A. & Norrbom, A.L. (eds). Fruit Flies (Tephritidae): Phylogeny and Evolution of Behaviour. Boca Raton, Florida, USA : CRC Press 944 pp.
Gillespie, P. & McNeil, B. 1998. Fruit Flies of NSW. http://www.agric.nsw.gov.au/Hort/ascu/fruitfly/fflyinde.htm. [An online key to the Tephritidae of NSW.]
Griffith University 2002. Tropical Fruit Fly Research Group. http://www.ens.gu.edu.au/fruitfly/welcome.htm
Hancock, D.L. 2001. Systematic notes on the genera of Australian and some non-Australian Tephritinae (Diptera: Tephritidae). Australian Entomologist 28(4): 111-116
Hancock, D.L., Hamacek, E.L., Lloyd, A.C. & Elson-Harris, M.M. 2000. Host Plants Of Fruit Flies In Australia. Brisbane : QDPI
Hardy, D.E. & Drew, R.A.I. 1996. Revision of the Australian Tephritini (Diptera: Tephritinae). Invertebrate Taxonomy 10: 213-405
Hardy, D.E. & Foote, R.H. 1989. Family Tephritidae. pp. 502-531 in Evenhuis, N.L. (ed.). Catalog of the Diptera of the Australasian and Oceanian Regions. Honolulu and Leiden : Bishop Museum Press and E.J. Brill 1155 pp. [available online at http://www.bishopmuseum.org/bishop/ento/aocat/]
Hardy, D.E. & Foote, R.H. 1996. Tephritidae. http://www.bishopmuseum.org/bishop/ento/aocat/
Headrick, D.H. & Goeden, R.D. 2000. Behaviour of Flies in the Subfamily Tephritinae. pp. 671-707 in Aluja, M.A. & Norrbom, A.L. (eds). Fruit Flies (Tephritidae): Phylogeny and Evolution of Behaviour. Boca Raton, Florida, USA : CRC Press 944 pp.
Korneyev, V.A. 2000. Phylogenetic Relationships among Higher Groups of Tephritidae. pp. 73-113 in Aluja, M.A. & Norrbom, A.L. (eds). Fruit Flies (Tephritidae): Phylogeny and Evolution of Behaviour. Boca Raton, Florida, USA : CRC Press 944 pp.
Korneyev, V.A. 2000. Phylogeny of the Subfamily Tephritinae: Relationships of Tribe and Subtribes. pp. 549-580 in Aluja, M.A. & Norrbom, A.L. (eds). Fruit Flies (Tephritidae): Phylogeny and Evolution of Behaviour. Boca Raton, Florida, USA : CRC Press 944 pp.
Norrbom, A.L., Carroll, L.E. & Freidberg, A. 1998. Status of Knowledge. 9-47 in Thompson, F.C. (ed.). Fruit fly expert identification system and systematic database of names. Myia 9: ix + 524
Norrbom, A.L., Carroll, L.E., Thompson, F.C., White, I.M. & Freidberg, A. 1998. Systematic Database of Names. 65-299 in Thompson, F.C. (ed.). Fruit fly expert identification system and systematic database of names. Myia 9: ix + 524
Permkam, S. & Hancock, D.L. 1995. Australian Ceratitinae (Diptera: Tephritidae). Invertebrate Taxonomy 8: 1325-1341
Permkam, S. & Hancock, D.L. 1995. Australian Trypetinae (Diptera: Tephritidae). Invertebrate Taxonomy 9: 1047-1209
School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney 2001. Welcome to the Fruit Fly Research Centre. http://www.bio.usyd.edu.au/fruitfly/index.htm
Secretariat of the Pacific Community 2002. Pacific Fruit Fly Web. http://www.pacifly.org/
Thompson, F.C. 2001. The Diptera Site. http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/Diptera/diptera.htm
White, I.M. & Elson-Harris, M.M. 1992. Fruit Flies of Economic Significance: Their Identification and Bionomics. Oxon, UK : CAB International pp. i-xii + 1-601