Acidia cognata

Acidia cognata
Acidia cognata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Tephritidae
Subfamily: Trypetinae
Genus: Acidia
Species: A. cognata
Binomial name
Acidia cognata
(Wiedemann, 1817)

Acidia cognata is a species of flies in the family Tephritidae.

Leaf mine caused by Acidia cognata
Acidia cognata

Description

Acidia cognata is a relatively large species, the body length reaching 6.5–7.0 millimetres (0.26–0.28 in). It has a golden orange-brown body, pale yellow-white head, bright red eyes and dark grey or brownish markings on the wings. Wing length can reach 5–7 millimetres (0.20–0.28 in). Adults flies from May until early October.

A. cognata is a monophagous leaf miner of a variety of plants in the family Asteraceae, mainly feeding from August until October on Arctium lappa, Petasites fragrans, Petasites albus and Tussilago farfara. Pupation occurs externally, in the soil.

Distribution

This species can be found in most of Europe, including Great Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and Ukraine.

Habitat

These flies mainly occur in meadows and forest edges.

References