Tephritidae

Tephritidae [tə′frid·ə‚dē]

(invertebrate zoology)

The fruit flies, a family of myodarian cyclorrhaphous dipteran insects in the subsection Acalyptratae.

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Tephritidae 

a family of flies. The body is usually 3–5 mm long and bears multicolored wings. There are about 4,000 species, which are distributed in all parts of the world. The larvae are herbivorous and develop in fruits, inflorescences, or leaves. Some species damage fruit (including grapes) and vegetable crops. The Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) damages the juicy fruits of more than 200 plant species. The cherry fruit fly (Rhagoletis cerasi) eats cherries, and Myiopardalis pardalina damages muskmelons, watermelons, pumpkins, and cucumbers. The olive fruit fly (Dacus oleae) destroys olive crops.