Graptomyza

A small genus of 17 species, revised by Whittington 1992 and updated 1994. Two further names are considered incertae sedis are available but cannot be associated with any modern specimens examined: Graptomyza hova Keiser, 1971 and G. quadrifaria Szihldy, 1942 were known from unique holotypes, which have unfortunately been lost and destroyed respectively.

Little is known about the larval and pupal stages of Graptomyza, except that the larvae of some species have a saprophagous habit, developing in fruits and pods. G. signata (Walker, 1860) has been reared from tomato and unspecified rotting fruit & G. triangulifera (Bigot, 1883) were reared from seed pods of Kigelia africana (Lain.) Benth.  The puparia were described (Whittington 1994) for G. signata (Walker, 1860) & G. triangulifera (Bigot, 1883) Adults are flower visitors and the key to species is based entirely on adult morphology.

Similarly, little is known about the habitat preferences of the Afrotropical taxa. Several species are recorded from mainly forested localities (eg. the Madagascan robusticornis species group), but the majority tend to be found in more open Acacia-savannah habitats (varia species group), or montane grassland (perforata species group).