Taxonomy of the Adults of the Genus Strauzia Robineau-Desvoidy(Diptera, Tephritidae)

Authors

• G. C. Steyskal, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

October 1986

Comments

Published in Insecta Mundi Vol. 1, no. 3, October 1986. Copyright © 1986 Steyskal.
Insecta Mundi, published by the Center for Systematic Entomology, is available online at http://centerforsystematicentomology.org/.

Abstract

The recently increased importance of sunflowers (Helianthus annuus Linnaeus) as a crop has brought with it an increased interest in the sunflower maggot, a long-recognized common name for Strauzia longipennis (Wiedemann). The larva of this species bores downward in the stem and feeds upon the pith of sunflowers. Until recently the genus Strauzia was considered to include only the type-species S. longipennis, with 7 varieties (Foote, 1965). It is now known that some of these varieties should be classed as distinct species, differing morphologically and biologically.