LIFE-HISTORY AND DESCRIPTIONS OF ADULTS AND IMMATURE STAGES OF ACIURINA-SEMILUCIDA (BATES) (DIPTERA, TEPHRITIDAE) ON CHRYSOTHAMNUS-VISCIDIFLORUS (HOOKER) NUTTALL IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Aciurina semilucida (Bates) is a rare, highly localized, tephritid fly forming pubescent, axillary bud galls on branches of Chrysothamnus vi scidiflorus (Hooker) Nuttall in southern California. Documentation is provided that the wing patterns of the adults are very strongly sexual ly dimorphic in southern California, but much less dimorphic in some o ther parts of its range, e.g. in Idaho, where it previously has been r eported only from C. nauseosus (Fallen) Britton. The egg, first-throug h third-instar larvae, and puparium are described, illustrated, and co mpared with other southern California Aciurina spp. The egg has a long pedicel, with a knoblike anterior apex. The second and third instars have abdominal terga III-V expanded into a dorsal ambulatory lobe. Thi s ambulatory lobe and the large open gall cavity within which the larv a feeds are characteristics shared only with A. michaeli Goeden among southern California Aciurina spp. studied to date.