Scathophagidae

Cordilura sp., copyright S. Rae.

Belongs within: Anthomyiidae.
Contains: Scathophaga.

The Scathophagidae are a group of slender, bristly flies that are predaceous on other insects as adults. Larvae are more varied in habits, including saprophagous, predatory and plant-feeding species (Vockeroth 2010).

Characters (from Vockeroth 2010): Slender, medium-sized (body length 6.5–13 mm), strongly bristled and sometimes setose flies, subshining to densely pruinose. Wing clear or with crossveins clouded. Frons about as wide as head in both sexes, without cruciate interfrontal bristles. Arista nearly bare to plumose. Palpus slightly broadened toward apex. Anepisternum extensively bare on anteroventral portion or with abundant fine setae on anterior one-quarter; katepisternum with one strong bristle posterodorsally. Postmetacoxal bridge present or absent. Vein R₁ bare or setose above; A₁ reaching wing margin. Female abdomen with seven pairs of spiracles.

<==Scathophagidae [Cordiluridae, Scathophaginae] V10
    |--+--Norellia Robineau-Desvoidy 1830 KP10, F92 [incl. Norellitoma Wahlgren 1917 F92]
    |  |    |  i. s.: N. longiabdomina Sun 1991 F92
    |  |    |         N. triangula Sun 1991 F92
    |  |    |--+--N. spinipes (Meigen 1826) KP10, F92 (see below for synonymy)
    |  |    |  `--+--N. spinimana KP10
    |  |    |     `--N. striolata KP10
    |  |    `--+--N. liturata KP10
    |  |       `--+--N. flavicorne KP10
    |  |          `--N. mirusae KP10
    |  `--+--+--Scathophaga KP10
    |     |  `--+--Acerocnema KP10
    |     |     |    |--A. macrocera KP10
    |     |     |    `--A. rufula V87
    |     |     `--Gimnomera KP10
    |     |          |--G. cuneiventris KP10
    |     |          |--G. tarsea KP10
    |     |          `--+--G. cerea KP10
    |     |             `--G. dorsata KP10
    |     `--+--+--Cleigastra apicalis KP10
    |        |  `--Neorthacheta dissimilis KP10, V87
    |        `--+--Orthacheta cornuta KP10
    |           `--Nanna Becker 1894 KP10, F92 [incl. Amaurosoma Becker 1894 F92]
    |                |  i. s.: N. katmaiensis V87
    |                |         N. truncata Fan 1976 F92
    |                |--N. brunneicosta KP10
    |                `--+--N. tibiella KP10
    |                   `--+--N. inermis KP10
    |                      `--+--N. fasciata KP10
    |                         `--+--*N. flavipes (Fallen 1819) F92, KP10, F92 [=Cordylura flavipes F92]
    |                            `--N. articulata KP10
    `--+--Delininae KP10
       |    |--Chylizosoma vittatum KP10
       |    `--+--Americina adusta KP10, V87
       |       `--Delina nigrita KP10, V87
       `--Cordilura KP10
            |  i. s.: C. bisignata O98
            |         C. brevicornis V10
            |         C. exhumata V87
            |         C. vetusta V87
            |         C. (Cordilura) V87
            |           |--C. (C.) proboscidea V87
            |           `--C. (C.) rufipes V87
            |         C. (Acicephala) polita V87
            |         C. (Paratidia) criddlei V87
            |         C. (Scoliaphleps) ustulata V87
            |         C. (Snyderia) praeusta V87
            |--C. carbonaria KP10
            `--+--+--Phrosia albilabris KP10
               |  `--C. pudica KP10
               `--+--C. albipes KP10
                  |--C. atrata KP10
                  |--C. latifrons KP10
                  |--C. ontario KP10
                  |--C. pubera KP10
                  |--C. (Achaetella) varipes V87, KP10
                  |--+--C. ciliata KP10
                  |  `--C. umbrosa KP10
                  `--+--C. dimidata KP10
                     `--C. (Cordilurina) V87
                          |--C. (C.) fuscipes V87
                          `--C. (C.) pleuricata V87, KP10

Scathophagidae incertae sedis:
  Scatogera BW09
  Ernoneura argus V87
  Allomyella V87
  Neochirosia atrifrons V87
  Pleurochaetella simplicipes V87
  Staegeria V87
  Hexamitocera loxocerata V87
  Peratomyia vittata V87
  Plethochaeta varicolor V87
  Norellisoma spinimanum V87
  Cosmetopus longus V87
  Megaphthalma V87
    |--M. longicornis O98
    `--M. pallida V87
  Bucephalina (Neogimnomera) amans V87
  Brooksiella varicornis V87
  Cordylurella V87
  Huckettia nearctica V87
  Megaphthalmoides unilineatus V87
  Gonarcticus V87
  Gonatherus planiceps V87
  Parallelomma vittatum V87
  Synchysa tricincta V87
  Dromogaster incompta V87

Norellia spinipes (Meigen 1826) KP10, F92 [=Cordylura spinipes F92; incl. *N. pseudonarcissi Robineau-Desvoidy 1830 F92]

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[BW09] Buck, M., N. E. Woodley, A. Borkent, D. M. Wood, T. Pape, J. R. Vockeroth, V. Michelsen & S. A. Marshall. 2009. Key to Diptera families—adults. 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. 95–156. NRC Research Press: Ottawa.

[F92] Fan Z. 1992. Key to the Common Flies of China 2^nd ed. Science Press: Beijing.

[KP10] Kutty, S. N., T. Pape, B. M. Wiegmann & R. Meier. 2010. Molecular phylogeny of the Calyptratae (Diptera: Cyclorrhapha) with an emphasis on the superfamily Oestroidea and the position of Mystacinobiidae and McAlpine's fly. Systematic Entomology 35: 614–635.

[O98] Oosterbroek, P. 1998. The Families of Diptera of the Malay Archipelago. Brill: Leiden.

[V87] Vockeroth, J. R. 1987. Scathophagidae. In: McAlpine, J. F. (ed.) Manual of Nearctic Diptera vol. 2 pp. 1085–1097. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada.

[V10] Vockeroth, J. R. 2010. Scathophagidae (dung 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. 2 pp. 1267–1269. NRC Research Press: Ottawa.

Last updated: 6 July 2021.