Tephritis vespertina
“Species In The Spotlight” by Lieven Decrick, nature freak and administrator of Tephritidae on observations.be.
Why do you want to put this species in the spotlight?
Tephritis vespertina is common in many gardens, but is only rarely spotted.
Where does this species hide?
Near Common Cat’s-Ear or Hypochaeris radicata (plant in photo). Common Cat’s-Ear is the host plant of this fly. Tephritis vespertina is observed both in the surroundings as on the plant itself.
How can you recognize the species?
Tephritis vespertina belongs to the family of the fruit flies and is in size somewhere between a fruit fly and a house fly (3-4 mm). You can distinguish this species from other fruit flies by the widened, dark fork in the tip of the wing (see photo). The fork denotes the dark wing drawing on the tip of the wing, which is strikingly “wide and bold”, says Lieven Decrick.
