Bug FAQDesert Broom Gallfly
Aciurina thoracica · Order: Diptera · Family: Tephritidae
Its larvae cause galls to form on plants that belong to the genus Baccharis. It is found in the United States and Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Aciurina thoracica belongs to the tephritid (fruit fly) family.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It induces galls on Baccharis species.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Its larvae feed by forming galls on Baccharis plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It occurs in the United States and Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 5 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants does the desert broom gallfly affect?
It makes galls on plants in the genus Baccharis.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the desert broom gallfly found?
It is known from the United States and Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Tephritidae)
Goldenrod Gall FlyEurosta solidaginis
Thistle Stem Gall FlyUrophora cardui
Goldenrod Brussels Sprout Gall FlyProcecidochares atra
Mediterranean Fruit FlyCeratitis capitataDamages trees, gardens or crops
Cotton-gall TephritidAciurina bigeloviae
Oriental Fruit FlyBactrocera dorsalisDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aciurina_thoracica
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-28 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-28.