New distribution record, host plant and notes on natural history of Tomoplagia rudolphi (Lutz & Lima, 1918) (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Abstract

In the state of Rio Grande do Sul, there are few records of geographical distribution and host plants to species of Tomoplagia Coquillett, as well as other genera of Tephritidae, especially those associated with plants of the family Asteraceae. Here, we report the first occurrence of Tomoplagia rudolphi (Lutz & Lima, 1918) in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, inducing stem galls in Vernonanthura tweediana (Baker) H. Rob. (Asteraceae, Vernonieae), whose plant becomes a new host record for this species. In this way, is increased to nine species of Tomoplagia recorded for Rio Grande do Sul. Biological and morphological data and photos of gall, larvae, pupae at new host and distribution map of the species in Brazil are provided.

Gall-Inducing Tephritid Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae): Evolution and Host–Plant Relations

“…As eggs hatch, the larvae feed on cells of the medullar parenchyma, and gall tissue proliferates surrounding the larvae, resulting in a globulous gall. The larva excavates a hole through which the adult leaves the gall; after pupation, the adults emerge 15-20 days later to begin a new reproductive cycle (Andrade et al, 1995;Silva et al, 1996;Savaris et al, 2019).…”

“…The previous surveys by Freidberg (1984Freidberg ( , 1998 and Korneyev et al (2005) are important sources summarizing the data on gall-inducing tephritids. Except for some more recent records of gall induction by tephritids, for example, by Prado et al (2002), Norrbom et al (2010), Warton and Norrbom (2013), Norrbom et al (2013), or Savaris et al (2019), readers should refer to the above summary for further sources of primary data. They (and foremost Freidberg, 1984Freidberg, , 1998 reviewed studies on the biology of gall-inducing tephritids and the recent information.…”