Safflower Fly

(Acanthiophilus helianthi), a dipteran insect of the family Trypetidae, a pest of safflower and other composite plants. The safflower fly, which is 4–5 mm long, has a gray body and yellow legs. The transparent wings have dark diffuse spots along the anterior margins. The safflower fly is distributed mainly in regions under safflower cultivation; in the USSR it is found in Uzbekistan. The adult fly lives through the winter. The females deposit their eggs on flowers, and the larvae feed on plant ovaries and fruits. The safflower fly yields two generations. Control measures include early planting of safflower, the elimination of wild safflower near plantings no later than the flowering period, and spraying plants with insecticides during flower budding.