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Euaresta bella (Loew)

Recognition
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Euaresta bella is one of the species of Euaresta with the anterior notopleural seta present, the apex of cell r₂₊₃ with 2 marginal hyaline spots, and the ground color of the thorax dark brown.. In wing pattern it closely resembles E. bellula, E. stelligera, and especially E. stigmatica, in that the bulla is always present and the basal half to two-thirds of cell r₄₊₅ is dark. It differs from all three species in having the wing slightly broader and by its more extensively microtrichose abdomen; in the other three species tergite 5 is mostly shiny. In addition, E. bellula and stelligera usually have two marginal hyaline spots present in cell r₁; if a third, apical one is present, it is small and does not cross vein R₂₊₃. The basal marginal spot broadly crosses this vein. In E. bella and stigmatica, the basal marginal spot in cell r₁ is always interrupted at the vein, whereas the subapical spot crosses it broadly. E. bella can be further distinguished from E. stigmatica by its slightly shorter female terminalia (oviscape no longer than 0.52 mm) and by its pterostigma never having more than a basal hyaline spot (Foote et al. 1993).

Classification and Evolutionary Relationships
Order: Diptera. Family: Tephritidae. Subfamily: Tephritinae. Genus: Euaresta. Species: bella. Author: Loew.
Relationships among the species of Euaresta were analyzed by Norrbom (1993). Click here for more detailed discussion of Euaresta phylogeny. Euaresta bella has been placed in the bullans species group.

Names Used for this Species
Trypeta bella Loew 1862: 88.
Acinia bella: Loew 1862: 89. [recheck]
Euaresta bella: Loew 1873: 311, 330.
Trypeta (Euaresta) bella: Osten Sacken 1878: 194.
Euaresta (Euaresta) bella: Benjamin 1934: 50.
Tephritis bella: Knowlton & Harmston 1937: 145.
Click here to link to fly names database

Type Data
Syntypes - Male & female (MCZ), USA: Washington, DC & New York.

Distribution
Euaresta bella is known from southern Canada south to USA (Florida) & Mexico, and the Bahamas. Records from Barbados and Cuba need confirmation (see Comments).  It was introduced to eastern Europe but is not established there.
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Biology
Euaresta bella is a monophagous species whose only known host plant is Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. (Novak et al. 1967, Foote 1984). It breeds in female flowers within developing seeds, with one larva per achene or seed, which is destroyed by its feeding. Foote (1966) and Batra (1979) described the life history and behavior, particularly the mating behavior, which includes male territoriality, extensive wing waving, and touching of the mouthparts ("kissing" or trophallaxis). Euaresta bella is univoltine, the single adult generation occurring in summer (mid-June to late September in Ohio; mid-July to late August in Maryland), with reproduction and oviposition mostly in August, and most larval development by October. The larvae overwinter and pupariate in the spring within the flower.

Economic Significance
Euaresta bella is a beneficial species.  It reduces seed production of its host, common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia), an agriculturally important weed whose pollen is a major cause of allergies; in a small sample of plants from Ohio, E. bella was reported to destroy 0-8% of the seeds examined (Foote 1984). Euaresta bella was released in eastern Europe as a biological control agent against this weed, but it is not established there (Turner 1996).

Comments
Norrbom (1993) reported specimens very similar to E. bella from Cuba and the Dominican Republic. They differ in having  most of male tergite 5 usually nonmicrotrichose. Whether they are conspecific with North American populations requires further investigation. See "sp., possibly bella." Previous records of E. bella from the Antilles, except perhaps those from the Bahamas, are presumably based on the same populations.

References
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Aczél, M. L. 1950. Catalogo de la familia "Trypetidae" (Dipt. Acalypt.) de la region neotropical. Acta Zoologica Lilloana (1949) 7: 177-328. [p. 281, in catalog]
Aczél, M. L. 1952. Suplemento al 'Catalogo de la familia 'Trypetidae' de la region Neotropical'. Acta Zool. Lilloana (1951) 12: 117-133.  [p. 129, in catalog]
Aczél, M. L. 1952. El género Euaresta Loew (= Camaromyia Hendel) en la región neotropical (Diptera Trypetidae). Revista Chilena de Entomología 2:147-172. [p. 150,     ]
Aldrich, J. M. 1905. A catalog of North American Diptera (or two-winged flies). Smithson. Misc. Collect. 46 (2): 680 p. [p. 612, in catalog]
Baker, C. F. 1904. Diptera. Reports on Californian and Nevadan Diptera, I. Invertebr. Pac. 1: 17-40. [p. 31, California]
Bates, M. 1933. Notes on West Indian Trypetidae (Diptera). Bull. Brooklyn Entomol. Soc. 28: 160-172. [p. 170, Bahamas]
Batra, S. W. T. 1979. Reproductive behavior of Euaresta bella and E. festiva (Diptera: Tephritidae), potential agents for the biological control of adventive North American ragweeds (Ambrosia spp.) in Eurasia. J. N.Y. Entomol. Soc. 87: 118-125. [p. 118, behavior]
Batra, S. W. T., J. R. Coulson, T. H. Dunn & P. E. Boldt. 1981. Insects and fungi associated with Carduus thistles (Compositae). U.S. Dep. Agric. Tech. Bull. 1616: 99 p. [p. 74, foliage record]
Benjamin, F. H. 1934. Descriptions of some native trypetid flies with notes on their habits. U. S. Dep. Agric. Tech. Bull. 401: 95 p. [p. 50, review, Florida]
Berlocher, S. H. 1984. Electrophoretic evidence for the validity of Euaresta stelligera Coquillett (Diptera: Tephritidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 57: 354-357. [p. 354, electrophoresis]
Brimley 1938. [p. 384, North Carolina]
Britton 1920. [p. 204, Connecticut]
Chagnon 1901. [p. 14, Canada]
Cleveland and Hamilton 1958. [p. 213, Indiana]
Cockerell 1898. [p. 155, New Mexico]
Curran, C. H. 1930. [p. 77, New York]
Curran, C. H. 1932. New North American Diptera, with notes on others. Am. Mus. Novit. 526: 13 p. [p. 9, taxonomy]
Doane, R. W. 1899. Notes on Trypetidae with descriptions of new species. J. N.Y. Entomol. Soc. 7: 177-193. [p. 191, distribution]
Elzinga, R. A. & A. B. Broce. 1986. Labellar modifications of Muscomorpha flies. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am 79: 150-209. [p. 208, labellar morphology]
Foote, B. A. 1966. Biology and immature stages of eastern ragweed flies (Tephritidae). Proc. North Cent. Br. Entomol. Soc. Am. (1965) 20: 105-106. [p. 105, host]
Foote, B. A. 1984. Host plant records for North American ragweed flies (Diptera: Tephritidae). Entomological News 95: 51-54. [p. 53, host]
Foote, R. H. 1965. Family Tephritidae, p. 658-678. In A. Stone, C. W. Sabrosky, W. W. Wirth, R. H. Foote & J. R. Coulson, eds., A catalog of the Diptera of America north of Mexico. U.S. Dep. Agric. Agric. Handb. 276: 1696 p. [p. 665, in catalog]
Foote, R. H., F. L. Blanc & A. L. Norrbom. 1993. Handbook of the fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) of America north of Mexico. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca. 571 p. [review, Canada & USA]
Harris, P. & G. L. Piper. 1970. Ragweed (Ambrosia spp.: Compositae): its North American insects and the possibilities for its biological control. Tech. Bull. Commonw. Inst. Biol. Control 13: 117-140. [p. 134, host]
Hendel, F. 1914b. Die Bohrfliegen Südamerikas. Abhandlungen und Berichte des Königlich Zoologischen und Anthropologisch-Ethnographischen Museums zu Dresden (1912) 14:1-84. [p. 71, review]
Hendrickson 1928. [p. 138, Iowa]
Hendrickson 1930. [p. 144, Iowa]
Janes and Thomas 1932. [p. 103, Utah]
Johannsen 1926. [p. 159, New York]
Johannsen, O. A. 1928. Order Diptera, p. 687-869. In M. D. Leonard, A list of the insects of New York with a list of the spiders and certain other allied groups. N.Y. Agric. Exp. Stn. Ithaca Mem. (1926) 101. [p. 853, New York]
Johnson, C. W. 1895. Diptera of Florida. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1895: 303-340. [p. 337, Florida]
Johnson, C. W. 1900. Order Diptera, p. 617-699. In J. B. Smith, The insects of New Jersey. A list of the species occurring in New Jersey, with notes on those of economic importance. Annu. Rep. State Board Agric. N. J. (27th) 1899 (Suppl.): 755 p. [p. 688, New Jersey]
Johnson, C. W. 1925. Fauna of New England. 15. List of the Diptera or two-winged flies. Occas. Pap. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist. 7(15): 1-326.  [p. 264, New England]
Johnson, C. W. 1927. The insect fauna, with reference to the flora and other biological features, p. 1-247. In W. Proctor, conductor, Biological Survey of the Mount Desert Region, Pt. 1. Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology, Philadelphia. [p. 218, Maine]
Knowlton, G. F. & F. C. Harmston. 1937. Utah Diptera. Proc. Utah Acad. Sci. Arts Lett. 14: 141-149. [p. 145, Utah]
Loew, H. 1862. Monographs of the Diptera of North America. Part I. Smithson. Misc. Collect. 6 (1 [= publ. 141]): xxiv + 221 p. [p. 88, description]
Loew, H. 1873. Monographs of the Diptera of North America. Part III. Smithsonian Misc. Coll. 11 (Publ. 256): 1-351. [p. 311, 330, taxonomy]
Morihara & Balsbaugh 1976. [p. 692, South Dakota, foliage record]
Norrbom, A. L. 1993. New species and phylogenetic analysis of Euaresta Loew (Diptera: Tephritidae) with a key to the species from the Americas south of Mexico. Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 95: 195-209. [phylogenetic relationships]
Norrbom, A. L., L. E. Carroll, F. C. Thompson, I. M. White & A. Freidberg. 1999. Systematic database of names, pp. 65-251. In F. C. Thompson (ed.), Fruit Fly Expert Identification System and Systematic Information Database. Myia (1998) 9, vii + 524 pp. & Diptera Data Dissemination Disk (CD-ROM) (1998) 1. [p. 145, in catalog]
Novak, J. A., W. B. Stoltzfus, E. J. Allen & B. A. Foote. 1967. New host records for North American fruit flies. Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 69: 146-148. [p. 147, host, biology]
Oatman et al. 1964. [p. 980, Wisconsin]
Osten Sacken, C. R. 1878. Catalogue of the described Diptera of North America. [Ed. 2]. Smithson. Misc. Collect. 16(2): xlvi + [2] + 276 p. [p. 194, in catalog]
Petch and Maltaise 1932. [p. 57, Quebec]
Phillips, V. T. 1923. A revision of the Trypetidae of northeastern America. J. N.Y. Entomol. Soc. 31: 119-155. [p. 147, review]
Quisenberry, B. F. 1950. The genus Euaresta in the United States (Diptera: Tephritidae. J. N.Y. Entomol. Soc. 58: 9-38. [p. 34, revision]
Snow, F. H. 1903. A preliminary list of the Diptera of Kansas. Kans. Univ. Sci. Bull. 2: 211-223. [p. 219, Kansas]
Snow 1904. [p. 345, Arizona]
Snow, W. A. 1894. Descriptions of North American Trypetidae, with notes. Paper I. Kans. Univ. Q. 2: 159-174. [p. 171, distribution]
Steyskal, G. C. 1957. Notes on color and pattern of eye in Diptera. II. Bull. Brooklyn Entomol. Soc. 52: 89-94. [p. 94, eye color]
Sturtevant, A. H. 1918. [p. 36, Alabama]
Sturtevant, A. H. 1925. The seminal receptacles and accessory glands of the Diptera, with special reference to the Acalypterae [part]. J. N. Y. Entomol. Soc. 33: 195-215. [p. 215, female reproductive organs]
Tucker, E. S. 1907. Some results of desultory collecting of insects in Kansas and Colorado. Kans. Univ. Sci. Bull. 4: 51-111. [p. 105, Alabama]
Turner, C. E. 1996. Tephritidae in the biological control of weeds, p. 157-164. In B. A. McPheron & G.J. Steck, eds., Fruit fly pests: A world assessment of their biology and management. St. Lucie Press, Delray Beach. 586 p. [use as biological control agent]
Wasbauer, M. S. 1972. An annotated host catalog of the fruit flies of America north of Mexico (Diptera: Tephritidae). Occas. Pap. Calif. Dep. Agric. Bur. Entomol. 19: [i] + 172 p. [p. 113, host list]
Washburn, F. L. 1905. The Diptera of Minnesota. Minn. Agric. Exp. Stn. Bull. 93: 19-168. [p. 118, Minnesota]
Winn & Beaulieu 1915. [p. 154, Quebec]

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