A revision of the western Palaearctic species of Urophora Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Tephritidae).

Abstract

A key is provided to twenty‐four western Palaearctic species of Urophora Robineau‐Desvoidy. The hosts of twenty‐three species which attack Asteraceae are listed, including those being used or investigated as possible weed biocontrol agents. The species are divided into four species groups and the differing host relationships and types of galls induced by these groups are discussed. U.lopholomae sp.n. and U.affinis ssp. calcitrapae ssp.n., associated with Centaurea (Lopholoma) spp. and C. (Calcitrapa) spp. respectively, are described. U. algerica (Hering) and U.sjumorum (Rohdendorf) are both treated as subspecies of U. quadrifasciata (Meigen). U.pontica is given full specific status and U.hispanica is removed from synonymy. The following new synonymies are made (junior synonyms in parentheses): U. angustifascia (Hering) (=Euribia phaeocera Hering); U. cardui (Linnaeus) (=U. reaumurii Robineau‐Desvoidy, lectotype designated); U. jaceana (Hering) (=E.conyzae Hering); U.maura (Frauenfeld) (=E. tecta Hering); U. mauritanica Macquart (=U. lejura Rondani, Trypeta macrura Loew); U.solstitialis (Linnaeus) (=E.sonderupi Hering, U. veruata Rondani); U.stylata (Fabricius) (=E.pia Hering, U. vulcaanica Rondani); U. terebrans (Loew) (=E. approximata Hering, T. eriolepidis Loew, E. manni Hendel). The possibility that U. quadrifasciata is a species complex is discussed; it is also suggested that U.affinis and U.jaceana represent the morphological extremes of a complex. The misuse of the name Musca stylata Fabricius in the genus Myopites Blot is noted.