The Society for the study of flies (Diptera)

Tephritis praecox was added to the British list by James Edward Collin (Collin, J.E. 1937. Trypeta vectensis sp.n. and other new or little known British species of Trypetidae (Diptera). Entomologist's Record and Journal of Variation 49: 1-7) on the basis of a female taken at Aldeburgh, Suffolk (VC25) on September 19th 1907. No further British records were known until a male was found in a private garden at 11 Station Road, Newhaven (VC14) on 22 July 2002 with further specimens between 20 September 2002 and 15 June 2004 (Jones, R.A. 2004. Tephritis praecox (Loew) (Diptera, Tephritidae) established in Britain. Dipterists Digest (Second series) 11: 16). In subsequent years it has been recorded from the following vice-counties: 2006 (15 and 16), 2007 (17 and 19), 2008 (55), 2015 (18 and 29), 2016 (21), 2017 (26 and 27), 2018 (11, 38 and 60), 2019 (54 and 56) and is currently known from 29 hectads. As the smallest British Tephritis species it has possibly been overlooked.