Liriomyza caulophaga (Kleinschmidt, 1961)
Aberrant species with strange and distinct male genitalia.
IMPORTANT CHARACTERS
Adults
Wing length: 1.7 - 2.1 mm. Light species, third antennal segment yellow with a small point at tip. Legs entirely light, femora yellow, tibiae and tarsi yellowish brown, somewhat darker than femora. Crossvein m-m of wing lacking.
Male terminalia
Epandrium of the specimen at hand yellowish, weakly pigmented (can be due to prematurity of the specimen but probably not). Tip of epandrium rather blunt with a single apical spine. Surstyli very short, covered only with hairs. Bacilliform sclerites well present. Aedeagus elongated but not atypical: Basiphallus long with four long apical projections. Apical part of distiphallus apically strongly broadened, clearly bifid, separated from the basal part by an unusual long hyaline part. Basal bubble of distiphallus invisible.
Immature stages
Larva described by Kleinschmidt, 1970.
Larval mouthparts rather strong and broad. The two mouthhooks on each mandible are weakly alternating.
BIONOMICS
Miner of petioles and midribs. Oviposition site unknown. Pupariation occurs probably within the mine.
HOST PLANT
Beta vulgaris L. var. cicla L. (silver beet).
DISTRIBUTION
Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia. Probably widely distribute in South East Asia.
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE
Spencer, 1973 estimated, caulophaga could be a "periodical pest of some importance".