The Tephritidae are one of two fly families referred to as fruit flies, the other family being the Drosophilidae. The family Tephritidae does not include the biological model organisms of the genus Drosophila, which is often called the "common fruit fly". Nearly 5,000 described species of tephritid fruit fly are categorized in almost 500 genera of the Tephritidae. Description, recategorization, and genetic analyses are constantly changing the taxonomy of this family. To distinguish them from the Drosophilidae, the Tephritidae are sometimes called peacock flies, in reference to their elaborate and colorful markings. The name comes from the Greek τεφρος, tephros, meaning "ash grey". They are found in all the biogeographic realms.
The Tephritoidea are a superfamily of flies. It has over 7,800 species, the majority of them in family Tephritidae.
Bactrocera is a large genus of tephritid fruit flies, with close to 500 species currently described and accepted.
The Dacinae are a subfamily of the fruit fly family Tephritidae. Its 41 genera are distributed among three tribes:
The Tachiniscinae are a subfamily of the fruit fly family Tephritidae. They are treated by some authorities as a separate family, Tachiniscidae. An undetermined species of the genus Tachiniscidia has been reared from Saturniidae caterpillars in Nigeria.
The Phytalmiinae are a subfamily of tephritid fruit flies.
Bactrocera dorsalis, previously known as Dacus dorsalis and commonly referred to as the oriental fruit fly, is a species of tephritid fruit fly that is endemic to Southeast Asia. It is one of the major pest species in the genus Bactrocera with a broad host range of cultivated and wild fruits. Male B. dorsalis respond strongly to methyl eugenol, which is used to monitor and estimate populations, as well as to annihilate males as a form of pest control. They are also important pollinators and visitors of wild orchids, Bulbophyllum cheiri and Bulbophyllum vinaceum in Southeast Asia, which lure the flies using methyl eugenol.
Rhagoletis cerasi is a species of fruit fly in the family Tephritidae.
Bactrocera cucurbitae, the melon fly, is a fruit fly of the family Tephritidae. It is a serious agricultural pest, particularly in Hawaii.
Acrotaeniostola is a genus of tephritid or fruit flies in the family Tephritidae.
Hendrella is a genus of tephritid or fruit flies in the family Tephritidae.
Pliomelaena is a genus of tephritid or fruit flies in the family Tephritidae.
Tephritis is a genus of flies. It contains around 170 described species, making it the sixth largest genus in the family Tephritidae. Many more undescribed species are known from specimen collections. Tephritis occur throughout much of the world, but most are Palearctic. They can be found in a wide range of climate types, from hot semidesert to tundra. Most species inhabit the inflorescences of plants from several tribes in the family Asteraceae, and a few species cause galls to form.
Terellia is a genus of tephritid or fruit flies in the family Tephritidae.
Urophora is a genus of tephritid or fruit flies in the family Tephritidae.
Rioxa is a genus of tephritid in the family Tephritidae. The genera Rioxa and related Hexacinia and Cribrorioxa are distributed in South and Southeast Asia from India and Sri Lanka in the west to the Philippines. Only a few species extend east of Borneo to New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago. Rioxa breeds on fallen logs inside forests.
Trupanea is a genus of tephritid or fruit flies in the family Tephritidae.
Tephritini is a tribe of fruit flies in the family Tephritidae. There are about 80 genera and some 1000 described species in Tephritini.
Dioxyna picciola is a species of tephritid or fruit flies in the genus Dioxyna of the family Tephritidae. It feeds on a wide variety of Asteraceae.
Terelliini is a tribe of fruit flies in the family Tephritidae. There are at least six genera and about 104 described species in Terelliini.
