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Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) Identification

The only world key to the genera of Tephritdae, by Hendel (1914), is badly outdated. White & Elson-Harris (1992) provided keys and Carroll et al. (2002) an interactive identification system for adults and larvae of genera and species of greatest economic importance. Publications containing keys for particular genera or higher taxa were listed by Norrbom et al. (1999) under each generic or higher taxon name.  The most recent keys to the fruit fly genera of the various regions may be found in the following publications:

Afrotropical Region - The only comprehensive keys, by Bezzi (1924[470], 1924[469], 1924[472]), are largely outdated. More recent generic keys are available for most higher taxa, including the Phytalmiinae, Adramini, Rivelliominini and Trypetini (Hancock 1986, 1991), Ceratitidini and Gastrozonini (Hancock 1985, 1987, 1999), Tephrellini (Munro 1947, Hancock 1990), and some genera of Tephritini (Munro 1957, Freidberg 1987). Munro (1984) revised the Dacini, and Freidberg & Kaplan (1992), the Oedaspidina.

Australasian Region - There is no comprehensive generic key. Most genera found in New Guinea and the Bismarck and Solomon Islands have been revised by Hardy (1983, 1985, 1986[1961], 1986[1962], 1987, 1988[1964], 1988[1965]), and Hardy & Adachi (1956) and Hardy & Delfinado (1980) revised the Tephritidae of Micronesia and Hawaii, respectively. Drew (1989) revised the Dacini of the region, and White & Hancock (1997) provided an interactive identification program. McAlpine & Schneider (1978) revised some genera of Phytalmiini. Hardy & Drew (1996) revised the Tephritinae of Australia, and Permkam & Hancock (1995[3794], 1995[3795]) revised the Australian species of Phytalmiinae, Ceratitidini, and non-dacine Trypetinae.

Nearctic Region - Foote & Steyskal (1987) and Foote et al. (1993) provided keys for the genera, and the genera and species, respectively, of the United States and Canada. The few genera from the Nearctic part of Mexico not covered by them can be identified with the key of Foote (1980).

Neotropical Region - Foote (1980) provided a key to the genera south of the United States.

Oriental Region - No comprehensive generic key is available, but the keys in the following monographs of more restricted areas are useful: China (Zia 1937, Wang 1998), Indonesia (Hardy 1982, 1983[1956], 1983[1958], 1985, 1986[1961], 1986[1962], 1987, 1988[1964], 1988[1965]), India (Kapoor 1993), Philippines (Hardy 1974), Ryukyu Islands of Japan (Shiraki 1968, Ito 1983-1985), Taiwan (Shiraki 1933, Munro 1935[3476], 1935[3477]), and Thailand (Hardy 1973). White & Hancock (1997) provided an interactive identification program for the species of Dacini.

Palearctic Region - The only comprehensive monograph, by Hendel (1927), is largely outdated. There are keys for the faunas of the following more restricted areas: Britain (White 1988), China (Zia & Chen 1938, Wang 1998), central Europe (Merz 1994), eastern Europe (Richter 1970), Israel (Freidberg & Kugler 1989), Japan (Ito 1983-1985), and Korea (Kwon 1985).

White et al. (1999) provided an extensive glossary of terms for morphological characters that have been used for the identification of fruit flies.

See the Fruit Fly Bibliography Database for full information for cited references.