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Euphranta Loew (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Recognition
The two New World species of Euphranta, both of which belong to the subgenus Rhacochlaena, can be distinguished from all other American genera of Tephritidae by their finely setulose anatergite. Their lack of presutural supra-alar and posterior orbital setae are also useful diagnostic characters. 
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Classification and Evolutionary Relationships
Order: Diptera. Family: Tephritidae. Subfamily: Trypetinae. Tribe: Adramini. Genus: Euphranta. Author: Loew.
Phylogenetic relationships among the genera of Adramini have not been analyzed.

Diversity & Distribution
The two Amerian species of Euphranta (Rhacochlaena) are the only New World representatives of the tribe Adramini (= Euphrantini), most genera of which are restricted to the Old World tropics. Euphranta is also primarily paleotropical, although at least 12 of the approximately 90 known species occur in the Palearctic Region.  Norrbom (1993) revised the two American species. See Hardy (1974, keys to 17 spp. from Philippines; 1981, key to 9 spp. from peninsular Malaysia; 1983, key to 39 spp.), Kandybina (1977, key to larvae of 3 spp.), Kapoor (1993, key to 6 spp. from India), Korneyev (1990, key to 11 spp. from e. Russia),  Merz (1994, key to 2 spp. from Europe), and Permkam & Hancock (1995 key to 12 spp. from Australia) for keys to some of the Old World species.
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Names Used for this Genus
Euphranta Loew 1862: 28, type species Musca connexa Fabricius (MO).
Lagarosia Wulp 1891: 210, type species lacteata Wulp, Hendel 1914: 78 (SD).
Layarosia Hardy 1977: 80, missp. Lagarosia Wulp. Attributed to "authors".
Mosina: Rondani 1870: 10, misid.
Rhacochlaena Loew 1862: 50, type species Trypeta toxoneura Loew (MO).
Epochra Loew 1873: 238, type species Trypeta canadensis Loew (MO).
Macrotrypeta Portschinsky 1892: 223 (type species ortalidina Portschinsky (MO).
Staurella Bezzi 1913: 121, type species Musca crux Fabricius (OD).
Epochroa Williston 1896: 121, missp. Epochra Loew.
Rhacoclaena Bezzi 1928[479]: 332, missp. Rhacochlaena Loew.
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Biology
Hardy (1983), White (1988), Korneyev (1990), and White & Elson-Harris (1992) summarized the limited but diverse biological data that are known for the species of Euphranta. Both Nearctic species breed in fruit of species of Ribes L. (Grossulariaceae).

Economic Significance
Euphranta canadensis is considered an occasional pest of currants (Ribes spp.) in North America.

Comments
Norrbom (1993) considered Epochra a junior synonym of Rhacochlaena because their type species do not differ in chaetotaxy, wing venation or other characters that Hardy (1983) and Hancock (1986) used to separate the genera of Adramini (as Euphrantini). In particular, the acrostichal (prescutellar) setae are present, which is the main character used to distinguish Rhacochlaena from the subgenus Euphranta. Phylogenetic relationships among the species of Euphranta have not been analyzed, but E. toxoneura, the type species of Rhacochlaena, and E. canadensis, the type species of Epochra, appear to be relatively closely related. They are among the species with short aristal hairs and with the subapical wing band interrupted in cell r₂₊₃. Their glandes and aculei also are very similar.

References
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Hancock, D. L. 1986. Classification of the Trypetinae (Diptera: Tephritidae), with a discussion of the Afrotropical fauna. J. Entomol. Soc. South. Afr. 49: 275-305.
Hardy, D. E. 1983. The fruit flies of the tribe Euphrantini of Indonesia, New Guinea, and adjacent islands (Tephritidae: Diptera). Int. J. Entomol. 25: 152-205.
Korneyev, V. A. 1990. Fruit flies of the subfamilies Phytalmiinae, Acanthonevrinae and Adraminae (Diptera, Tephritidae) from Soviet Far East. pp. 116-125, In A.S. Lelej, S.Y. Storozhenko and N.A. Storozheva, eds., News of Insects Systematics of Soviet Far East. Far East Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, 136 pp.
Loew, H. 1862. Die Europäischen Bohrfliegen (Trypetidae). W. Junk, Vienna. 128 pp.
Loew, H. 1873. Monographs of the Diptera of North America, pt. III. Smithson. Misc. Collect. 11 (no. 256): 1-351.
Norrbom, A. L. 1993. New synonymy of Epochra with Euphranta (Rhacochlaena Loew) (Diptera: Tephritidae) and description of a new species from Mexico. Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 95: 189-194.
White, I. M. 1986. A new species of Paroxyna Hendel and notes on the nomenclature of other British Tephritidae (Diptera). Entomol. Mon. Mag. 122: 145-163.
White, I. M. 1988. Tephritid flies, Diptera: Tephritidae. Handb. Identif. Br. Insects 10 (5a): 1-134.
White, I. M. & M. M. Elson-Harris. 1992. Fruit Flies of Economic Significance: Their Identification and Bionomics. C.A.B. International, Wallingford, UK. 601 pp.