The ''Lonicera'' fly, a
hybrid in the genus ''Rhagoletis'', is a
North American fruit fly of the family
Tephritidae
The Tephritidae are one of two fly families referred to as fruit flies, the other family being the Drosophilidae. The family Tephritidae does not include the biological model organisms of the genus ''Drosophila'' (in the family Drosophilidae), ...
. Its larvae feed on the berries of species of
introduced honeysuckle (''Lonicera'') that were brought to America within the last 250 years as
ornamental plant
Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...
s. A research team led by
Dietmar Schwarz has argued that it most likely developed within that time by hybridization of two other species:
''R. mendax'', the
blueberry maggot, and
''R. zephyria'', the
snowberry maggot. Few cases of
animal
Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Kingdom (biology), biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals Heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, are Motilit ...
species arising from hybridization are known, although with DNA analysis more are being found.
References
*
External links
* https://web.archive.org/web/20110525081931/http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2005/08/08-03-05tdc/08-03-05dnews-04.asp
* http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v436/n7050/suppinfo/nature03800.html
Rhagoletis
Hybrid animals
{{Rhagoletis-stub