Acanthiophilus helianthi (Rossi, 1794)
(Knapweed Ghost)

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesAcanthiophilus helianthi (Knapweed Ghost)
FamilyTEPHRITIDAE (gall-flies, greater fruit flies)
SuperfamilyTEPHRITOIDEA (lance and picture-wing flies)
InfraorderSchizophora - Acalyptratae (an infraorder of flies)
OrderDIPTERA (two-winged flies)
Division Endopterygota (bees, beetles, flies, moths and other insects with wings developing internally)
InfraclassNeoptera (bees, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other advanced insects)
SubclassPTERYGOTA (bees, beetles, dragonflies, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other winged insects)
ClassINSECTA (true insects)
SubphylumHEXAPODA (insects and other 6-legged organisms)
PhylumARTHROPODA (arthropods)
SuperphylumECDYSOZOA (skin shedders)
CladeBilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals)
SubkingdomEUMETAZOA (metazoans)
KingdomANIMALIA (animals)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
Records of Acanthiophilus helianthi (Knapweed Ghost) :
1: Acanthiophilus helianthi (Knapweed Ghost)
1 Sep 2017 OSGR: SY67 50° 30’ N, 2° 30’ W Vice County: Dorset (VC 9) England
male, swept off Ragwort
Image 1: Male - dorsal view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 2: Male - fore-parts - dorsal view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 3: Male - fore-parts - lateral view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 4: Male - head and thorax - dorsal view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 5: Male - head and thorax - lateral view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 6: Male - head - dorsal view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 7: Male - head - lateral view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 8: Male - lateral view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 9: Male - lateral view - highly enlarged - silver background (2)Image 10: Male - ventral view - highly enlarged - silver background
2: Acanthiophilus helianthi (Knapweed Ghost)
28 Jul 2015 OSGR: SY67 50° 30’ N, 2° 30’ W Vice County: Dorset (VC 9) England
2 females, beaten from lesser knapweed
Image 1: Female - dorsal view - highly enlarged - black backgroundImage 2: Female - dorsal view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 3: Female - head and thorax - dorsal view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 4: Female - head and thorax - lateral view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 5: Female - head - dorsal view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 6: Female - head - lateral view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 7: Female - lateral view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 8: Female - lateral view - highly enlarged - silver background (2)Image 9: Female - ventral view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 10: Wing - magnified - white background
3: Acanthiophilus helianthi (Knapweed Ghost)
27 Jun 1998 OSGR: SU97 51° 30’ N, 0° 40’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
Male, swept off Knapweed
Image 1: Male - dorsal viewImage 2: Male - lateral view

Acanthiophilus helianthi (Knapweed Ghost) may be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Acanthiophilus helianthi (Knapweed Ghost)
BioInfoBioInfo (www.bioinfo.org.uk) has 21 host/parasite/foodplant and/or other relationships for Acanthiophilus helianthi (Knapweed Ghost)
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