The true fruit flies are colorful insects whose immature stages are obligate plant feeders. GSMNP, with an estimated 60-70 species of fruit flies, is a hot spot of tephritid diversity, as it harbors over half of the fruit fly species known from all of eastern North America. We will document their biologies, distributions, host relationships, and immature stages. Methods include mass-trapping, targeted collecting, and dissection of infested plants to reveal details of feeding, development time, mortality factors, parasites and predators. Species pages, distribution maps, and photos of flies and hosts will be posted on the Web.

Principal Investigator

PI Name:  Dr. Gary J. Steck

PI Organization:  Florida State Collection of Arthropods