SUMMARY The sorghum shoot fly, Atherigona soccata is a pest of economic importance, on late‐sown local sorghums in Senegal. Rearing of shoot flies on five sorghum cultivars (Congossane, 51–69, Naga white, CE 90 and Swarna) showed no antibiosis effect on pest biology. Seven species of the sub‐genus Atherigona were reared from sorghum, five from pearl millet and one species from grasses in the laboratory. Atherigona soccata preferred sorghum and developed satisfactorily on Brachiaria grasses during the off seasons. The sub‐genus Acritochaeta was presented by A. orientalis.