Family: Tephritidae (fruit flies)

Life > Eukaryotes > Opisthokonta > Metazoa (animals) > Bilateria > Ecdysozoa > Panarthropoda > Tritocerebra > Phylum: Arthopoda > Mandibulata > Atelocerata > Panhexapoda > Hexapoda > Insecta (insects) > Dicondyla > Pterygota > Metapterygota > Neoptera > Eumetabola > Holometabola > Panorpida > Antliophora > Diptera (flies) > Brachycera > Muscomorpha > Eremoneura > Cyclorrapha > Schizophora > Tephritoidea

Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata laying egg into fig. [photo Hamish Robertson]

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Tephritids are commonly referred to as fruitflies but should not be confused with members of the Drosophilidae, which are also commonly called fruitflies. All tephritids have a larval stage associated with plants but they differ in the parts of the plant that are attacked - some feed on fruit, others on leaves, stems and seeds. Some also form galls on the plant. A total of 364 species have been recorded from South Africa (SA Animal Checklist).