''Urophora affinis'' is a species of tephritid or fruit flies in the genus ''

Urophora ''Urophora'' is a genus of tephritid or fruit flies in the family Tephritidae. Species *'' Urophora acompsa'' ( Hendel, 1914) *'' Urophora aerea'' ( Hering, 1942) *'' Urophora affinis'' (Frauenfeld, 1857) *'' Urophora agnata'' ( Hering, 1942) ...

'' of the family

Tephritidae 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'' (in the family Drosophilidae ...

. It has been released in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and Canada as a

biocontrol Biological control or biocontrol is a method of pest control, controlling pests, whether pest animals such as insects and mites, weeds, or pathogens affecting animals or phytopathology, plants by bioeffector, using other organisms. It relies o ...

agent to control

spotted knapweed ''Centaurea stoebe'', the spotted knapweed or panicled knapweed, is a species of ''Centaurea'' native to eastern Europe, although it has spread to North America, where it is considered an invasive species. It forms a tumbleweed, helping to incre ...

. ''U. affinis'' became established in Montana in 1973.

Life history

''U. affinis'' is multivoltine and overwinters as a larva in knapweed flower heads. In June, adults oviposit on seed heads. Each female can produce about 120 eggs. It has been shown to reduce seed production in knapweed (spotted and diffuse) by up to 95% Harris P. 1980. Effects of Urophora affinis Frfld, and U. quadrifasciata (Meig.) (Diptera: Tephritidae) on ''Centaurea diffusa'' Lam. and ''C. maculosa'' Lam. (Compositae). Zeitschrift fur Angewandte Entomologie 90:190-201. but that is insufficient for effective management of either species.Powell RD. (1990) The functional forms of density-dependent birth and death rates in diffuse knapweed (Centaurea diffusa) explain why it has not been controlled by ''Urophora affinis'', ''U. quadrifasciata'' and ''Sphenoptera jugoslavica''. In: Delfosse ES, editor. Proceedings VII International Symposium on Biological Control of Weeds 6–11 March 1988, Rome, Italy. Instituto Sperimentale per la Patologia Vegetale (MAF). pp 195-202. Overwintering ''Urophora'' larvae are heavily preyed upon by deer mice ''

Peromyscus maniculatus ''Peromyscus maniculatus'', the eastern deermouse, is a rodent native to eastern North America. It is a species of the genus ''Peromyscus'', a closely related group of New World rats and mice, New World mice often called "deermice". When former ...

''. The inability of ''Urophora'' species to control knapweed led to the introduction of other biocontrol agents, including the weevils ''

Larinus minutus ''Larinus minutus'' is a species of true weevil known as the lesser knapweed flower weevil. It is used as an agent of biological pest control against noxious knapweeds, especially diffuse knapweed (''Centaurea diffusa'') and spotted knapweed. ...

'' and '' Bangasternus fausti'', which also attack seed heads of knanpweed. In cage experiments, larvae of ''Larinus minutus'' and ''Bangasternus fausti'' have been shown to consume the developing ''U. affinis''. Reproduction of ''U. affinis'' was reduced by ''L. minutus''.

Distribution

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

East to

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

& southwest

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

; introduced to

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Urophora Affinis Urophora Insects described in 1857 Taxa named by Georg Ritter von Frauenfeld Diptera of Europe Diptera of North America