Rhagoletis
Description
Body. Small to medium-sized; body length 5-11 mm; elongate-cylindrical. Integument unsclerotized, entirely whitish to yellowish. Caudal ridge absent. Mature larvae unable to jump.
Head. Head of normal shape; cephalic lobes slightly-to-moderately developed. Antenna 2-segmented.
Stomal organ: primary lobe rounded, protuberant; number of peg sensilla one; peg sensilla unbranched.
Stomal region: secondary lobes absent; sclerotized stomal guards present; number of sclerotized stomal guards varies. Oral ridges usually present, occasionally indistinct or poorly developed. Accessory plates present or absent. Elongate, finger-like lobes arising above mandibles absent. Median oral lobe absent or not protruding. Labium broad.
Cephalopharyngeal skeleton. Mandibles: subapical teeth usually absent; base stout, nearly perpendicular to a line from ventral part of base to apex of mandible. Parastomal bars elongate, free from hypopharyngeal sclerite. Dental sclerites apparently absent, not visible in lateral view.
Anterior spiracles. Anterior spiracles convex to flat, or concave medially. Variable amount of anterior spiracular tubules; often in a single uniform row, or in a single irregular row.
Spinules and creeping welts. Dorsal spinules on variable amount of thoracic and abdominal segments.
Caudal segment (A8) and anal lobes. Sensilla on caudal segment 10 pair, with at least 7 pair visible under dissecting microscope. Intermediate caudal sensillum I2 usually obvious. Intermediate caudal sensilla I1a&b and I2 on a single tubercle. Ventral caudal sensilla on a papilla or tubercle. Anal lobes variable.
Posterior spiracles. Posterior spiracular area not distinctly set off from caudal segment. Posterior spiracles: slits at least 2.5x longer than wide, but variable. Dorsal spiracular processes with variable number of trunks, often radiating from a short or semicircular base. Number of dorsal, ventral, and lateral spiracular processes variable. Area between posterior spiracles smooth.
Host plants
Many families.
Part of plant attacked: fruit.
Biogeographic region and distribution
Nearctic
Neotropical
Palearctic
Adult taxonomy
Rhagoletis Loew, 1862
Rhagoletis Loew 1862: 44, Musca cerasi Linnaeus (MO).
Zonosema Loew 1862: 43, Tephritis alternata Fallen, Rondani 1870: 6 (SD).
Microrrhagoletis Rohdendorf 1961: 187, samojlovitshae Rohdendorf (OD).
Megarrhagoletis Rohdendorf 1961: 196, magniterebra Rohdendorf (OD).
Zonosena Johnson 1903: 106, missp. Zonosema Loew.
Rhagolitis Van Duzee 1911: 244, missp. Rhagoletis Loew.
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.
Carroll, L. E., I.M. White, A. Freidberg, A.L. Norrbom, M.J. Dallwitz, and F.C. Thompson. 2002 onwards. Pest fruit flies of the world. Version: 2nd April 2019. delta-intkey.com
