Chaetorellia succinea


Chaetorellia succinea is a species of tephritid fruit fly that was accidentally released in 1991 into the United States and had since become one of the major biological pest controls against the noxious weed yellow starthistle.
It was not released intentionally for fears that it could become a pest of safflower, Carthamus tinctorius L. It was probably introduced from a shipment of yellow starthistle heads from Greece.
C. succinea has also been found to feed on two other introduced Centaurea species and the Native American starthistle Nutt.
C. succinea probably displaces another biocontrol fly, Chaetorellia australis, where the two co-occur.

Distribution

Italy, Greece, Turkey, Caucasus & Kazakhstan, South to Egypt, Jordan & Iran. Introduced to Oregon & California.