Apioceridae

Unidentified Apiocera, photographed by Jean and Fred Hort.

Belongs within: Asiloidea.

The Apioceridae are a family of flower-feeding flies with a preference for sandy habitats. Their larvae, where known, are soil-dwelling carnivores (Peterson 1981).

Characters (from Peterson 1981): Medium to large flies, 7.5-35.0 mm long, with most species ranging between 12.0 and 20.0 mm. Body stout, nearly bare to moderately setose, usually dull in color. Abdomen often elongate, tapering posteriorly; male terminalia often enlarged; tergite 10 of female with series of stout spines.

<==Apioceridae [Pomaceridae]
    |--Megascelinae P81
    |    |--Megascelus Philippi 1865 P53
    |    |--Tongamya miranda P81
    |    `--Neorhaphiomidas Norris 1936 P81, P53 [=Neorhaphiomydas P53]
    |         |--N. pinguis Norris 1936 P53
    |         `--+--*N. hardyi Norris 1936 P53
    |            |--N. norrisi Paramonov 1953 P53
    |            |--N. pallida Paramonov 1953 P53
    |            |--N. setosa Paramonov 1953 P53
    |            `--N. villosa Paramonov 1953 P53
    `--Apiocera Westwood 1835 P53 (see below for synonymy)
         |  i. s.: A. fuscicollis Westwood 1835 (n. d.) P53
         |         A. haruspex P81
         |         A. painteri P81
         |         A. (Pyrocera) W09
         |           |--A. (P.) barri W09
         |           |--A. (P.) clavator W09
         |           |--A. (P.) lavignei W09
         |           `--A. (P.) mexicana W09
         |--A. immedia Hardy 1940 P53
         |--A. ferruginea group P53
         |    |--A. ferruginea Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    `--A. vulpes Hermann 1909 P53
         |--A. striativentris group P53
         |    |--A. lugubris Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    `--A. striativentris Paramonov 1953 P53
         |--A. maritima group P53
         |    |--A. excepta Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    |--A. maritima Hardy 1933 P53
         |    `--A. pallida Norris 1936 P53
         |--A. omniflava group P53
         |    |--A. afacialis Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    |--A. deserticola Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    |--A. latipennis Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    |--A. omniflava Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    `--A. ordana Paramonov 1953 P53
         |--A. latifrons group P53
         |    |--A. angusta Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    |--A. contrasta Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    |--A. latifrons Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    |--A. tropica Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    `--A. unicolor Paramonov 1953 P53
         |--A. minor group P53
         |    |--A. australis Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    |--A. mackerrasi Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    |--A. minor Norris 1936 P53
         |    |--A. newmani Norris 1936 P53
         |    `--A. vespera Paramonov 1953 P53
         |--A. hardyi group P53
         |    |--A. fullerae Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    |--A. hardyi Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    |    |--A. h. hardyi P53
         |    |    `--A. h. angustifrons Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    `--A. nicholsoni Paramonov 1953 P53
         |--A. deforma group P53
         |    |--A. deforma Norris 1936 P53
         |    |--A. elegans Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    |--A. goerlingi Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    |--A. helenae Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    |--A. maxima Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    `--A. pulchra Paramonov 1953 P53
         |--A. tonnoiri group P53
         |    |--A. campbelli Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    |--A. flabellata Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    |--A. imminuta Hardy 1940 P53
         |    |--A. norrisi Hardy 1940 P53
         |    |--A. norrisiana Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    |--A. oblonga Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    `--A. tonnoiri Norris 1936 P53
         |--A. asilica group P53
         |    |--*A. (Apiocera) asilica Westwood 1835 P53
         |    |--A. antennata Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    |--A. basivillosa Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    |--A. commoni Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    |--A. fasciata Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    |--A. moerens Westwood 1841 P53
         |    |--A. orientalis Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    |--A. ornata Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    |--A. pica Norris 1936 P53
         |    |--A. pilosoris Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    |--A. septentrionalis Paramonov 1953 P53
         |    `--A. swani Paramonov 1953 P53
         `--A. brevicornis group P53
              |--A. acutipalpis Paramonov 1953 P53
              |--A. albanyana Paramonov 1953 P53
              |--A. aliena Paramonov 1953 P53
              |--A. asiloides Paramonov 1953 P53
              |--A. bigoti Macquart 1847 P53
              |--A. brevicornis (Wiedemann 1830) P53 [=Laphria brevicornis P81, *Tapinocera brevicornis P53]
              |--A. englishae Paramonov 1953 P53
              |--A. longitudinalis Paramonov 1953 P53
              |--A. moderata Paramonov 1953 P53
              |--A. picoides Paramonov 1953 P53
              |--A. reginae Paramonov 1953 P53
              |--A. similis Paramonov 1953 P53
              `--A. victoriae Paramonov 1953 P53

Apiocera Westwood 1835 P53 [incl. Anypenus P53, Pomacera Macquart 1847 P53, Rhipidosyrma Hermann 1909 P53, Tapinocera Macquart 1838 P53; Apiocerinae P81]

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[P53] Paramonov, S. J. 1953. A review of Australian Apioceridae (Diptera). Australian Journal of Zoology 1 (3): 449-536.

[P81] Peterson, B. V. 1981. Apioceridae. In: McAlpine, J. F., B. V. Peterson, G. E. Shewell, H. J. Teskey, J. R. Vockeroth & D. S. Wood (eds) Manual of Nearctic Diptera vol. 1 pp. 541–548. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada.

[W09] Woodley, N. E. 2009. Apioceridae (apiocerid flies). In: Brown, B. V., A. Borkent, J. M. Cumming, D. M. Wood, N. E. Woodley & M. A. Zumbado (eds) Manual of Central American Diptera vol. 1 pp. 577–578. NRC Research Press: Ottawa.

Last updated: 16 May 2018.