Urophora stylata (Tephritidae) - Bull Thistle Gall Fly

Description:

First the female fly "danced" on the thistle and after a while she pierced the thistle, later the male fly slowly approached and.... (I am not sure if she injected eggs already? i.e. befor and after copula? )Phylum: Arthropoda LATREILLE, 1829 (arthropods, Gliederfer)Subphylum: Hexapoda BLAINVILLE, 1816Class: Insecta LINNAEUS, 1758 (insects, Insekten)Subclass: Pterygota LANG, 1888 (Fluginsekten)Infraclass: Neoptera MARTYNOV, 1923Order: Diptera LINNAEUS, 1758 (true flies, mosquitoes and gnats, Zweiflgler)Suborder: Brachycera SCHINER, 1862Infraorder: Muscomorpha [Syn.: Cyclorrhapha]Superfamily: TephritoideaFamily: Tephritidae MACQUART, 1835 (fruit flies, Frucht- oder Bohrfliegen)Subfamily: Tephritinae MACQUART, 1835Tribus: Myopitini HENDEL, 1927Genus: Urophora ROBINEAU-DESVOIDY, 1830Urophora stylata FABRICIUS, 1775 (Bull Thistle Gall Fly, Bohrfliege)some info: www.naturespot.org.uk/species/urophora-stylatahost plant: mainly Cirsium vulgare (Gemeine Kratzdiestel) rarely Cirsium arvense (Creeping Thistle, Acker-Kratzdiestel)Germany, N-Hesse, Kassel: Dnche (NP), 180-200m asl., 18.07.2013IMG_1813