Rhagoletis cingulata

Common name  

eastern cherry fruit fly

Description

Typical of Rhagoletis larvae with the following specific characteristics for the 3rd instar:

Head. Cephalic lobes moderately developed.

Stomal region: Number of sclerotized stomal guards 1 (small, blunt). Oral ridges present; number of oral ridges 3–7; margins entire. 

Anterior spiracles. Anterior spiracle convex to flat. Anterior spiracular tubules 21-31 (note: in slide mounted material it's easy to under-count); in two rows.

Spinules and creeping welts. Dorsal spinules on segments T1-A7.

Caudal segment (A8) and anal lobes. Anal lobes simple or grooved.

Posterior spiracles. Slits, on average, 4.2x longer than wide.

Host plants

Famlly	Genus / species
Rosaceae	Prunus

Part of plant attacked: fruit.

Biogeographic region and distribution

Nearctic, Palearctic

Canada to USA (Iowa and Quebec south to Mississippi and Florida; Arizona, Texas), central Mexico; introduced Switzerland, n. Italy
 

Adult taxonomy

Rhagoletis cingulata (Loew)
Trypeta cingulata Loew1862: 76.—USA. “Middle States”. T ♀ MCZ. Type data (Bush 1966: 473).
Ortalis cerasi: Harris 1835: 600.—misid. See Bush 1966: 473.
Trypeta pomonella: Cook 1889: 152.—misid. See Foote et al. 1993: 341.
Rhagoletis cingulata ssp. indifferens: Padilla 1964: 9.—misid. See Foote 1981: 48.
 

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.

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.