morgandjackson's Identifications

On Cirsium drummondii which was blooming. The fly has three perpendicular lines forming a rectangle, generally pale brown. Flying much earlier than late-July to late-August reported for T. palposa in Ontario (Jackson, M.D., Marshall, S.A., Hanner, R. and Norrbom, A.L. 2011. The Fruit Flies (Tephritidae) of Ontario. Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification No. 15, May 24 2011, available online at doi: 10.3752/cjai.2011.15), but T. occidentalis hasn't been reported east of ~B.C., Canada on Natureserve (https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.896257/Terellia_occidentalis). Appears to be more consistent with T. occidentalis, but perhaps a specialist can help! There were two individuals of this species on the thistle.

Study in partnership with stewards at Sylvan Dale Community Pasture (Association of Manitoba Community Pastures).