Rhagoletis cerasi
Common name
European cherry fruit flyDescription
Typical of Rhagoletis larvae with the following specific characteristics for the 3rd instar:
Body. Body length 5–6 mm
Head. Cephalic lobes slightly developed. Stomal region with 4–6 sclerotized stomal guards, strong, sharply pointed. Oral ridges present (very indistinct), or absent; number of oral ridges (when present) 3–4; margins rounded, more like reticulation than ridges.
Cephalopharyngeal skeleton. Mandible: subapical tooth present, much smaller than apical tooth.
Spinules and creeping welts. Dorsal spinules on segments T2-A8, none on T1.
Anterior spiracles. Anterior spiracular lobes 12–16, in a single uniform row.
Caudal segment (A8) and anal lobes. Anal lobes protuberant; grooved.
Posterior spiracles. Posterior spiracles: Spiracular processes radiating from short or semicircular bases, of medium length; slits 4–5x longer than wide; dorsal spiracular processes with 6–7 trunks; lateral spiracular processes with 2–6 trunks; ventral spiracular processes with 6–7 trunks.
Host plants
| Family | Genus |
| Rosaceae | Prunus |
| Caprifoliaceae | Lonicera, Symphoricarpos |
Part of plant attacked: fruit.
Biogeographic region and distribution
Palearctic
Europe, except British Is., and temperate Asia including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.
Specimens examined
Based on specimens from Italy: vic. Portici, vi.1986, P. Fimiani (n=10) and on descriptions by White and Elson-Harris (1992; France, from canned mixed fruit, n=2), Phillips (1946), and Kandybina (1961).
Adult taxonomy
Rhagoletis cerasi (Linnaeus)
Musca cerasi Linnaeus 1758: 600.—[France?]. LT A Reaumur. Lectotype designated by White 1987: 102, specimen
of Reaumur 1737, pl. 38, fig. 23.
Trypeta signata Meigen 1826: 332.—Not stated [Europe]. ST ♂♀ MNHNP. NMW ST from Megerle probably destroyed (Pont 1986).
Urophora liturata Robineau-Desvoiy 1830: 771.—France. HT A Dejean.
Urophora cerasorum Dufour 1845: 212.—France. T A MNHNP? Attributed to Redi 1671 (nonbinominal).
Rhagoletis cerasi f. obsoleta Hering 1936: 182.—Germany. Berlin-Frohnau. HT ♂ BMNH.
Rhagoletis cerasi spp. fasciata Rohdendorf 1961: 180.—Russia. Volgogradskaya: Sarepta.HT/ZISP.
Rhagoletis cerasi ssp. nigripes Rohdendorf 1961: 180.—Tadzhikistan. 60 km. from Zaamin, Turkestan range, Gurolash. HT ♀ ZISP.
Tephritis ceraci Persson 1958: 111.—missp. cerasi Linnaeus.
Musca solstitialis: Sulzer 1776: 216.—misid.
References
Carroll, L. E., A. L. Norrbom, M. J. Dallwitz, and F. C. Thompson. 2004 onwards. Pest fruit flies of the world – larvae. Version: 8th December 2006. http://delta-intkey.com.
Kandybina, M. N. 1977. Lichinki plodovykh mukh-pestrokrylok (Diptera, Tephritidae). [Larvae of fruit-infesting fruit flies (Diptera, Tephritidae)]. Opredeliteli po faune S.S.S.R. 114:1-210. [In Russian; unpublished English translation, 1987, produced by National Agricultural Library, Beltsville, Maryland, U.S.A.]
Phillips, V. T. 1946. The biology and identification of trypetid larvae (Diptera: Trypetidae). Memoirs of the American Entomological Society 12:1-161.
USDA-APHIS-PPQ-Plant Epidemiology and Rish Analysis Laboratory. 2016. Rhagoletis cerasi (Linnaeus) European cherry fruit fly Diptera: Tephritidae. 14 p.
White, I. M. and M. M. Elson-Harris. 1992. Fruit Flies of Economic Significance: Their Identification and Bionomics. International Institute of Entomology, London. xii + 601 p.
