Description

The Phragmites-eating green-eyed flies L. similis and L. pullitarsus are also introduced and widespread in northeastern North America. Lipara lucens was reported from CT on the basis of specimens collected in 1931, but has not been subsequently found in North America. This record might be a misidentification of L. rufitarsus (Blossey and Weber 2000).

Taxonomy

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family	Genus
Animalia	Hexapoda	Insecta	Diptera	Chloropidae	Lipara

Synonyms

Invasion History

Chesapeake Bay Status

First Record	Population	Range	Introduction	Residency	Source Region	Native Region	Vectors
2000	Established	Unknown	Introduced	Regular Resident	Europe	Eurasia	Shipping(Unspecified); Ornamental(Aquatic Plant); Agriculture(Packing Material)

History of Spread

Lipara rufitarsus, a chloropid fly, is native to Eurasia (Blossey and Weber 2000). It is found only on Phragmites australis. Lipara lucens was reported to have been collected in North America in 1931 but was not found in recent unpublished surveys in the Northeast US. The early records may have referred to L. rufitarsus, which is now widespread from MA to NJ (Blossey and Weber 2000). It was collected in Chesapeake Bay tidal Phragmites marshes near Tappahannock VA on the Rappahannock River, and in Dameron Marsh, Northumberland County VA in 2000 (Blossey and Weber 2000).

References- Blossey and Weber 2000

Invasion Comments

Ecology

Environmental Tolerances

	For Survival		For Reproduction
	Minimum	Maximum	Minimum	Maximum
Temperature (ºC)
Salinity (‰)	0.0		0.0
Oxygen
pH
	Salinity Range	fresh-poly

Age and Growth

	Male	Female
Minimum Adult Size (mm)
Typical Adult Size (mm)
Maximum Adult Size (mm)
Maximum Longevity (yrs)
Typical Longevity (yrs

Reproduction

	Start	Peak	End
Reproductive Season
Typical Number of Young Per Reproductive Event
Sexuality Mode(s)
Mode(s) of Asexual Reproduction
Fertilization Type(s)
More than One Reproduction Event per Year
Reproductive Startegy
Egg/Seed Form

Impacts

Economic Impacts in Chesapeake Bay

The effects of insect herbivores of Phragmites australis (Common Reed), including Lipara rufitarsis, have not been studied in Chesapeake Bay or elsewhere in North America. Potentially, these introduced insects could affect the aggressive invasion of P. australis in Chesapeake Bay wetlands. Studies of these insects are needed in order to determine whether P. australis control programs need to be redesigned to preserve and enhance the effect of introduced herbivore populations (Blossey and Weber 2000).

References- Blossey and Weber 2000

Economic Impacts Outside of Chesapeake Bay

Insect herbivores of Phragmites australis (Common Reed), including Lipara rufitarsis, are considered pests of reed-beds in Europe. However, the effects of these insects on the population dynamics and abundance of P. australis has not been studied in Europe or North America. Potentially, these introduced insects could affect the aggressive invasion of P. australis in eastern North American wetlands (Blossey and Weber 2000).

References- Blossey and Weber 2000

Ecological Impacts on Chesapeake Native Species

Impacts of the fly Lipara rufitarsis on native Phragmites australis (Common Reed) populations are unknown.

Ecological Impacts on Other Chesapeake Non-Native Species

References

Blossey, Bernd; Weber, Joseph T. (2000) First Virginia records of four European insect herbivores of Phragmites australis., Banisteria 16: 29-35

Haslam, S. M. (1972) Biological flora of the British Isles List Br. Vasc. Pl. (1958) No. 665, . 1. Phragmites communis, Journal of Ecology 60: 585-610

Marks, Marianne; Lapin, Beth; Randall, John (1994) Phragmites australis (P. communis): Threats, management, and monitoring, Natural Areas Journal 14: 285-294

Lipara rufitarsis

Invertebrates