Subject: Yellow blue-eyed fly
Geographic location of the bug: Long Beach, CA
Date: 03/05/2019
Time: 11:28 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Never seen this fly before. Suddenly noticed them around my work office. It’s been unusually rainy the last few months. Not sure if it’s related at all. It’s eyes look green in the picture, but they’re really a purplish blue. Please identity!
How you want your letter signed: Curious
Dear Curious,
This is a Fruit Fly in the family Tephritidae, and it reminds us of Euleia fratria which is pictured on BugGuide. According to BugGuide: the larvae are “Leaf miners in parsnip and other Apiaceae and Asteraceae” plant families well represented in Longbeach.
Thanks! I had looked up California fruit flies from and no results like this one. Happy to know 🙂
Thanks again for replying.