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Euaresta festiva (Loew)

Recognition
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Euaresta festiva differs from other species of Euaresta except E. aequalis in having the ground color of the thorax yellow rather than dark brown to black. It differs from E. aequalis by having the distal hyaline spot in cell r₄₊₅ broadly touching the wing margin, and by its narrower gena (its height at most slightly greater than width of first flagellomere). Euaresta festiva is relatively large for a Euaresta species, although not as large as E. aequalis; the scutum is about 4.0 mm long.

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

Names Used for this Species
Trypeta festiva Loew 1862: 86.
Trypeta (Euaresta) festiva: Osten Sacken 1878: 194.
Euaresta festiva: Loew 1873: 330.
Click here to link to fly names database

Type Data
Syntypes - Male & female (MCZ), USA: Pennsylvania.

Distribution
Euaresta festiva is known from Canada & USA (Idaho, Manitoba, Ontario & Connecticut south to Colorado, Arkansas & northern Georgia).
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Biology
Euaresta festiva is a monophagous species whose only known host plant is giant ragweed, Ambrosia trifida 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 festiva is univoltine, the single adult generation appearing in summer (July to late September in Ohio; peak abundance in mid-September in Maryland). The larvae overwinter and pupariate in the spring within the flower.

Economic Significance
Euaresta festiva is a beneficial species.  It reduces seed production of its host, giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida), an agriculturally important weed whose pollen is a major cause of allergies; in a small sample of plants from Ohio, E. festiva was reported to destroy 2.0-24.4% of the seeds examined (Foote 1984).

References
Click here to access fruit fly literature database
Aldrich, J. M. 1905. A catalog of North American Diptera (or two-winged flies). Smithson. Misc. Collect. 46 (2): 680 p. [p. 613, in catalog]
Aczél, M. L. 1939. Bohrfliegen-Studien. Zool. Anz. 125: 124-131. [p. 128, taxonomy]
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]
Berlocher, S. H. 1984. Electrophoretic evidence for the validity of Euaresta stelligera Coquillett (Diptera: Tephritidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 57: 354-357. [electrophoresis]
Brimley 1938. 384, N. Car.]
Britton 1920. 204, Conn.]
Coquillett, D. W. 1910. The type-species of the North American genera of Diptera. Proc. U.S. Natl. Mus. 37: 499-647 [= No. 1719]. [p. 540, type species designation]
Doane, R. W. 1899. Notes on Trypetidae with descriptions of new species. J. N.Y. Entomol. Soc. 7: 177-193. [p. 191, distribution]
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. 106, 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. G. 1914. Die Gattungen der Bohrfliegen. (Analytische Ubersicht aller bisher bekannten Gattungen der Tephritinae.). Wien. Entomol. Ztg. 33: 73-98. [p. 96, type species data]
Hendrickson 1930. [p. 144, Iowa]
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, N.Y.]
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, N. Engl.]
Keen 1885. [p. 55, Pa.]
Loew, H. 1862. Monographs of the Diptera of North America. Part I. Smithson. Misc. Collect. 6 (1 [= publ. 141]): xxiv + 221 p. [p. 86, description]
Loew, H. 1873. Monographs of the Diptera of North America. Part III. Smithsonian Misc. Coll. 11 (Publ. 256): 1-351. [p. 309, 330, taxonomy]
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]
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. 19, revision]
Snow, F. H. 1903. A preliminary list of the Diptera of Kansas. Kans. Univ. Sci. Bull. 2: 211-223. [p. 219, Kansas]
Snow, W. A. 1894. Descriptions of North American Trypetidae, with notes. Paper I. Kans. Univ. Q. 2: 159-174. [p. 171, distribution]
Tucker, E. S. 1907. Some results of desultory collecting of insects in Kansas and Colorado. Kans. Univ. Sci. Bull. 4: 51-111. [p. 105, Kansas]
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]

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