Milichiidae

Freeloader flies Neophyllomyza on bee, copyright Beatriz Moisset.

Belongs within: Schizophora.

The Milichiidae are a group of small flies that are mostly saprophages or coprophages though a number of species are associated with social Hymenoptera as inquilines or kleptoparasites. Members of several genera have been found in assocation with large spiders and feeding on partially digested prey (Swann 2010). Members are divided between the subfamilies Madizinae, with a prominent vibrissal angle, the vibrissa below the lower margin of the eye, and without a prominent anal area on the wing, and the Milichiinae, with the vibrissal angle scarcely evident and the vibrissa above the level of the lower margin of the eye, and a conspicuously broad anal area on the wing (Sabrosky 1987).

Characters (from Swann 2010): Small (body length 1–7 mm), often largely brown or black, occasionally orange or yellow; males of some genera with silvery microtomentum on abdomen. Usually with two or three pairs of medioclinate frontal bristles and two or three pairs of lateroclinate to proclinate orbital bristles; rarely with uniform row of 8–10 pairs of reclinate fronto-orbital bristles or frontal and orbital setae greatly reduced to absent. Frons usually with two rows of interfrontal setae, sometimes on distinctly shining stripes; lunule often with one or two pairs of setae; proboscis often elongate, geniculate. Wing with humeral and subcostal break; region of latter often modified into costal lappet; cell cup closed, small. Male terminalia with pregonites fused with hypandrium and postgonites absent.

<==Milichiidae [Phyllomyzidae] S10
    |  i. s.: Costalima myrmicola S10
    |         Pseudomilichia S10
    |         Ulia poecilogastra S10
    |         Microsimus S10
    |         Prosaetomilichia O98
    |         Pseudodesmometopa succineum Hennig 1971 P92
    |--Milichiinae S10
    |    |--Eusiphona S87
    |    |    |--E. mira S10
    |    |    `--E. vittata S10
    |    |--Milichiella S87 [incl. Eccoptomma S10]
    |    |    |--M. bisignata S10
    |    |    `--M. lacteipennis S10
    |    |--Milichia S10
    |    |    |--M. aethiops S10
    |    |    |--M. albomaculata (Strobl 1900) C-T92
    |    |    |--M. piscivora CM91
    |    |    `--M. speciosa Meigen 1830 C-T92
    |    `--Pholeomyia S87
    |         |--P. comans S87
    |         |--P. dampfi S10
    |         |--P. indecora S87
    |         `--P. leucozona S10
    `--Madizinae [Phyllomyzinae] S10
         |--Madiza glabra Fallén 1820 C-T92
         |--Paramyia nitens S87, S10
         |--Aldrichiomyza agromyzina S87, S10
         |--Stomosis S87
         |    |--S. innominata S10
         |    `--S. rufula S10
         |--Leptometopa S87
         |    |--L. halteralis S10
         |    `--L. latipes (Meigen 1830) C-T92 [=Desmometopa latipes S10]
         |--Desmometopa S87
         |    |--D. m-nigrum (Zetterstedt 1848) C-T92
         |    |--D. sordida (Fallén 1820) C-T92
         |    `--D. varipalpis Malloch 1927 C-T92
         |--Phyllomyza S10
         |    |--P. hurdi Sabrosky 1963 P92
         |    |--P. jaegeri Hennig 1967 P92
         |    `--P. securicornis S10
         `--Neophyllomyza Melander 1913 S87, C-T92
              |--N. acyglossa (Villeneuve 1920) C-T92
              |--N. magnipalpus S10
              |--N. quadricornis S10
              `--N. wulpi S10

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[C-T92] Carles-Tolrá, M. 1992. New and interesting records of Diptera Acalyptrata from Spain. Part I: Acartophthalmidae, Opomyzidae, Anthomyzidae, Asteiidae, Carnidae, Tethinidae, Milichiidae and Cryptochetidae. Bull. Annls Soc. R. Belge Ent. 128: 343–353.

[CM91] Colless, D. H., & D. K. McAlpine. 1991. Diptera (flies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers 2^nd ed. vol. 2 pp. 717–786. Melbourne University Press: Carlton (Victoria).

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

[P92] Poinar, G. O., Jr. 1992. Life in Amber. Stanford University Press: Stanford.

[S87] Sabrosky, C. W. 1987. Milichiidae. In: McAlpine, J. F. (ed.) Manual of Nearctic Diptera vol. 2 pp. 903–908. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada.

[S10] Swann, J. E. 2010. Milichiidae (milichiid 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. 1125–1136. NRC Research Press: Ottawa.

Last updated: 30 June 2021.

Canacidae

Female Canacea macateei, from Mathis (2010).

Belongs within: Schizophora.

The Canacidae, surf flies, are a group of small flies mostly found in intertidal habitats. Larvae are little-known but are probably grazers on algae or saprobes. The New World genus Procanace represents the sister group to the remaining genera in the family, from which it differs in the absence of intrafrontal setae (though the anterior third of the frons may bear scattered setulae). The remaining genera are divided between the Canacinae and Nocticanacinae with the latter also being restricted to the New World (Mathis 2010).

Characters (from Wirth 1987): Small pruinose flies, 3–5 mm long; blackish, brownish, yellowish, or gray in color, often with striking whitish to grayish pruinescence ventrally; wing usually without color pattern. Head large with large subcranial cavity. Clypeus prominent, usually fitting into emargination on lower margin of face. Proboscis large, with fleshy labella; palpus well-developed. First flagellomere rounded; arista dorsal, short pubescent to bare. Frons wide in both sexes; three to five pairs of divergent fronto-orbital bristles present; frontal vitta often differentiated, with or without one or more pairs of interfrontal bristles. Ocellar triangle large; ocellar bristles present and strong; postocellar bristles absent but often replaced by pseudopostocellar bristles, i.e. specialized ocellar setulae; inner and outer vertical bristles strong. Face slightly convex to concave; upper portion swollen, separating antennae, bristles usually absent except for incurved vibrissa. Gena broad; one or more upcurved genal bristles present, usually in an oblique series; subvibrissal setulae present or absent. Thorax with four or more pairs of dorsocentral bristles present; prescutellar acrostichal bristles present or absent, one pair of postpronotal bristles, one or two pairs of notopleural bristles, and one pair of presutural and usually two pairs of postsutural supra-alar bristles present; sometimes one pair of presutural intra-alar bristles present; anepisternal and katepisternal bristles present or absent; one or two pairs of scutellar bristles present. Legs rather short, without strong bristles; femora sometimes with ventral armature of short stout spines. Wing with C extending to M; Sc complete and separate from R₁ almost to its tip; C with only subcostal break; cells br, bm, dm, and cup complete; A₁ short. Male with terminalia symmetric. One pregenital segment present, formed mostly by tergite 6 but with its posterior portion possibly consisting of remnants of segments 7 and 8; sternite 6 absent; spiracles 1–6 situated just below margins of respective tergites; spiracle 7 situated in posterior part of tergite 6. Epandrium short or nearly divided medially. Surstylus fused with epandrium, in repose directed anteroventrally below abdomen, with its apex simple, hooked, or bilobate. Hypandrium broadly open or nearly closed anteriorly, posteriorly usually with a pair of lateral arms extending above aedeagus and fusing to form a backwardly directed long and acute or short and blunt spine-like process; gonopod large, weakly sclerotized, with dense fine setae; paramere rather slender, with a few preapical setae; aedeagus short, with complex sclerotisation; aedeagal apodeme slender and very long. Cercus distinct but weak. Female either with tergite 7 fused with sternite 7 and with sternite 7 divided medially and spiracle 7 enclosed in the synsclerite, or with tergite and sternite 7 separate, and with sternite 7 large and entire and spiracle 7 situated below the margin of the tergite. Tergite 8 large; sternite 8 divided medially or nearly so, each half weak except posteriorly where it bears several strong straight or curved setae. Epiproct and cerci completely fused; cerci apparently represented by a pair of long, backwardly directed, closely appressed, tapering, sometimes strongly sclerotised lobes (genital lamellae of authors); each lobe ending in a very strong seta that may be acute or blunt and flattened and may be preceded by one or more similar but smaller setae. Hypoproct small, with or without distinct hairs. Ventral wall of genital chamber with V-shaped or ring-shaped sclerite. Two spermathecae present, variable in shape.

<==Canacidae M10
    |  i. s.: Tethinosoma fulvifrons WT11
    |         Isocanace albiceps CM91
    |         Trichocanace atra O98
    |         Xanthocanace CM91
    |         Chaetocanace CM91
    |           |--C. biseta O98
    |           `--C. brincki O98
    |         Zalea CM91
    |--Procanace M10
    |    |--P. dianneae WT11
    |    |--P. gressitti O98
    |    |--P. grisescens M10
    |    |--P. nigroviridis M10
    |    |--P. novaeguineae O98
    |    `--P. opaca O98
    `--+--Canacinae M10
       |    |--Canace CM70 [Canacini M10]
       |    |    `--C. albiceps CM70
       |    `--Canacea [Dynomiellini] M10
       |         `--C. macateei M10
       `--Nocticanacinae M10
            |--Paracanace hoguei M10
            |--Canaceoides M10
            |    |--C. angulatus W87
            |    `--C. nudatus M10
            `--Nocticanace M10
                 |--N. arnaudi M10
                 |--N. chilensis M10
                 `--N. texensis M10

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[CM70] Colless, D. H., & D. K. McAlpine. 1970. Diptera (flies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers pp. 656–740. Melbourne University Press.

[CM91] Colless, D. H., & D. K. McAlpine. 1991. Diptera (flies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers 2^nd ed. vol. 2 pp. 717–786. Melbourne University Press: Carlton (Victoria).

[M10] Mathis, W. N. 2010. Canacidae (surf 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. 1115–1119. NRC Research Press: Ottawa.

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

[WT11] Wiegmann, B. M., M. D. Trautwein, I. S. Winkler, N. B. Barr, J.-W. Kim, C. Lambkin, M. A. Bertone, B. K. Cassel, K. M. Bayless, A. M. Heimberg, B. M. Wheeler, K. J. Peterson, T. Pape, B. J. Sinclair, J. H. Skevington, V. Blagoderov, J. Caravas, S. N. Kutty, U. Schmidt-Ott, G. E. Kampmeier, F. C. Thompson, D. A. Grimaldi, A. T. Beckenbach, G. W. Courtney, M. Friedrich, R. Meier & D. K. Yeates. 2011. Episodic radiations in the fly tree of life. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 108 (14): 5690–5695.

[W87] Wirth, W. W. 1987. Canacidae. In: McAlpine, J. F. (ed.) Manual of Nearctic Diptera vol. 2 pp. 1079–1083. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada.

Last updated: 29 June 2021.

Sciomyzidae

Sciomyza simplex, copyright Gr. Dick.

Belongs within: Sciomyzoidea.
Contains: Tetanocerini.

The Sciomyzidae are a group of flies whose larvae are mostly predators or parasitoids of molluscs or (rarely) annelids. Most species attack gastropods; the North American Renocera brevis feeds on fingernail clams (Knutson 1987). The larvae of one species, Atrichomelina pubera, have been recorded varying between parasitic, predatory or saprophagous behaviour depending on circumstances (Marinoni & Knutson 2010).

Characters (from Marinoni & Knutson 2010): Adults small to large (body length 2–13 mm), mostly yellow to brown, sometimes black. Head with antenna porrect, pedicel usually elongate; arista bare to plumose; ocellar setae usually present; inner and outer vertical setae developed; postocellar setae parallel or slightly divergent. Face slightly to strongly concave, uniformly sclerotised; vibrissa absent; clypeus small, withdrawn. Thorax with zero or one proepisternal seta; zero or one presutural supra-alar; zero to two postalars; zero or one postpronotal; usually two notopleural; usually two pairs of scutellar setae. Wing elongate, completely hyaline to patterned; C and Sc complete; C unbroken; A₁ + CuA₂ reaching margin. Legs slender; some or all tibiae with preapical dorsal seta. Male terminalia symmetrical to asymmetrical; tergite 6 usually absent; right spiracles 6 and 7 mostly in tergite; epandrium well developed, symmetrical; usually with anterior and posterior surstylus, sometimes anterior one vestigial or absent; cercus well developed, setose. Female sternites 6, 7 and 8 separate or fused; two spermathecae present. Egg length 0.6–2 mm; white or yellowish, often becoming brown or grey as larva develops; usually unicolorous. Mostly oval, with dorsal surface often less convex than ventral surface. Each end usually with low or prominent tubercle, anterior tubercle often reduced. Micropyle terminal or subterminal. Chorion slightly reticulate or with ridges and grooves. Larva white, integument transparent, diaphanous (semi-terrestrial and terrestrial species), or brownish or yellowish (aquatic species). Third instar with elongate and cylindrical body, tapered anteriorly; posterior spiracular disc surrounded by two to five pairs of short to elongate lobes. Surface smooth or with areas of microscopic spinules. Aquatic species with elongate float hairs between posterior spiracular slits; float hairs much reduced in terrestrial species. Cephalopharyngeal species in first three segments, long, with paired mandibles; ventral area connected posterolaterally on each side of mandibles; mandibles with or without row of accessory teeth. Puparium with integument opaque, yellowish, reddish-brown to dark brown or almost black. Ovoid, barrel-shaped, tapered at both ends, posterior spiracles in most aquatic species elevated above dorsum.

<==Sciomyzidae [Tetanoceridae] MK10
    |--Renocera K87 [Renocerinae MK10]
    |    `--R. brevis K87
    |--Salticella S68 [Salticellinae MK10]
    |    `--S. fasciata S68
    `--Sciomyzinae MK10
         |  i. s.: Dichaetophora CM70
         |--+--Tetanocerini WT11
         |  `--Neolimnia WT11 [Neolimniinae MK10]
         |       `--N. obscura WT11
         `--Sciomyzini MK10
              |--Atrichomelina pubera MK10
              |--Neuzina diminuta MK10
              |--Calliscia MK10
              |--Parectinocera MK10
              |--Colobaea americana K87
              |--Oidematops ferrugineus K87
              |--Pteromicra MK10
              |    |--P. inermis A71
              |    `--P. pleuralis K87
              |--Ditaeniella MK10
              |    |--D. parallela MK10
              |    `--D. patagonensis MK10
              |--Pherbellia WT11
              |    |--P. annulipes WT11
              |    |--P. dorsata K87
              |    |--P. maculata K87
              |    `--P. trabeculata MK10
              `--Sciomyza K87
                   |--S. aristalis K87
                   |--S. cinerella K01
                   |--S. florissantensis K87
                   |--S. rufiventris K01
                   `--S. simplex S68

Sciomyzidae incertae sedis:
  Tetanura pallidiventris S68
  Coremacera marginata S68
  Dictyodes MK10
  Perilimnia MK10
  Shannonia MK10
  Calobaea bifasciella PB27
  Ctenulus PB27
    |--C. pectoralis PB27
    `--C. punctatus PB27
  Knutsonia RD77
  Palaeoheteromyza P92
  Prophaeomyia P92
  Prosalticella P92
  Sepedonites P92

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[A71] Askew, R. R. 1971. Parasitic Insects. Heinemann Educational Books: London.

[CM70] Colless, D. H., & D. K. McAlpine. 1970. Diptera (flies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers pp. 656–740. Melbourne University Press.

[K01] Kertész, K. 1901. Legyek [Dipteren]. In: Horváth, G. (ed.) Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazása [Dritte Asiatische Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] vol. 2. Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazásának Állattani Eredményei [Zoologische Ergebnisse der Dritten Asiatischen Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] pp. 179–201. Victor Hornyánszky: Budapest, and Karl W. Hierseman: Leipzig.

[K87] Knutson, L. V. 1987. Sciomyzidae. In: McAlpine, J. F. (ed.) Manual of Nearctic Diptera vol. 2 pp. 927–940. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada.

[MK10] Marinoni, L., & L. Knutson. 2010. Sciomyzidae (snail-killing flies, marsh 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. 1017–1024. NRC Research Press: Ottawa.

[PB27] Pilsbry, H. A., & J. Bequaert. 1927. The aquatic mollusks of the Belgian Congo, with a geographical and ecological account of Congo malacology. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 53 (2): 69–602, pls 10–77.

[P92] Poinar, G. O., Jr. 1992. Life in Amber. Stanford University Press: Stanford.

[RD77] Richards, O. W., & R. G. Davies. 1977. Imms' General Textbook of Entomology 10^th ed. vol. 2. Classification and Biology. Chapman and Hall: London.

[S68] Steyskal, G. C. 1968. The number and kind of characters needed for significant numerical taxonomy. Systematic Zoology 17 (4): 474–477.

[WT11] Wiegmann, B. M., M. D. Trautwein, I. S. Winkler, N. B. Barr, J.-W. Kim, C. Lambkin, M. A. Bertone, B. K. Cassel, K. M. Bayless, A. M. Heimberg, B. M. Wheeler, K. J. Peterson, T. Pape, B. J. Sinclair, J. H. Skevington, V. Blagoderov, J. Caravas, S. N. Kutty, U. Schmidt-Ott, G. E. Kampmeier, F. C. Thompson, D. A. Grimaldi, A. T. Beckenbach, G. W. Courtney, M. Friedrich, R. Meier & D. K. Yeates. 2011. Episodic radiations in the fly tree of life. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 108 (14): 5690–5695.

Last updated: 29 June 2021.

Ropalomeridae

Ropalomera sp., copyright Ecographica.

Belongs within: Schizophora.

The Ropalomeridae are a group of robust-bodied flies found only in tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas (Ibáñez-Bernal & Hernández-Ortiz 2010).

Characters (from Ibáñez-Bernal & Hernández-Ortiz 2010): Medium to large robust flies (body length 6–12 mm) with body generally grey or dark brown. Vertex commonly sunken; gena high; face with median ridge or rounded protuberance; antenna with first flagellomere ovoid or elongate, arista subbasal, bare, with short flattened hairs or plumose; vibrissae absent. Scutum with tomentum pattern of longitudinal stripes; scutellum frequently grooved; greater ampulla present. Wings mostly hyaline to brownish or spotted; R₁ bare; R₄₊₅ and M strongly convergent towards wing margin; dm-cu curved sharply forward in line with M. Femora swollen, particularly on hind leg; hind tibia often laterally flattened and broadened. Female terminalia with tergite and sternite 7 partially fused, ending conically; ovipositor soft and short with small setulae; two globose sclerotised spermathecae. Male terminalia with epandrium curved ventrally; cerci basally to completely fused; surstyli spatulate; postgonite with one to three lobes; phallus short, membranous with spurlike epiphallus at posterior base.

<==Ropalomeridae [Rhopalomeridae]
    |--Rhytidops floridensis I-BH-O10
    |--Apophorhynchus I-BH-O10
    |--Dactylissa I-BH-O10
    |--Mexicoa mexicana I-BH-O10
    |--Willistoniella Meigen 1903 I-BH-O10, H02
    |    `--W. pleuropunctata I-BH-O10
    |--Lenkokroeberia I-BH-O10
    |    |--L. chryserea I-BH-O10
    |    `--L. ciliata I-BH-O10
    |--Kroeberia I-BH-O10
    |    |--K. fuliginosa I-BH-O10
    |    `--K. minor I-BH-O10
    `--Ropalomera I-BH-O10
         |--R. clavipes I-BH-O10
         |--R. femorata I-BH-O10
         |--R. latiforceps Ramírez-García & Hernández-Ortiz 1994 I-BH-O10
         `--R. stictica I-BH-O10

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[H02] Hong Y. 2002. Amber Insect of China. Beijing Scientific and Technological Publishing House.

[I-BH-O10] Ibáñez-Bernal, S., & V. Hernández-Ortiz. 2010. Ropalomeridae (ropalomerid 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. 1025–1030. NRC Research Press: Ottawa.

Psilidae

Psila collaris, copyright Charley Eiseman.

Belongs within: Schizophora.

The Psilidae are a group of elongate-bodied flies whose larvae, where known, are phytophagous on trees or herbaceous plants (Buck 2010). The carrot rust fly Psila rosae is a widespread pest of carrots and related crops (Steyskal 1987).

Characters (from Buck 2010): Small to medium-sized flies (body length 3–12 mm) with more or less elongated body. Head chaetotaxy including zero to two fronto-orbital bristles, ocellar bristles, inner and outer vertical bristles (the latter sometimes duplicated), divergent postocellar bristles (sometimes reduced), and no vibrissa. Antenna with arista short- to medium-pubescent; pedicel with distinct dorsal seam. Thorax relatively sparsely bristled, with one to two dorsocentral, one notopleural, one supra-alar, one postalar, and no pleural bristles. Legs normal to elongated, without bristles. Wing with subcostal break; subcosta vanishing before curving anteriorly to C. Male abdomen with well-developed symmetrical tergite and sternite 6, dorsal pregenital sclerite present or absent. Surstyli present or absent. Phallapodeme connected to hypandrium, in Psilinae forming large phallapodemic plate. Phallus usually short, rarely long with bifid apex. Ejaculatory apodeme small or absent. Female with elongate ovipositor. Spermathecae desclerotised, ventral receptacle present.

<==Psilidae B10
    |  i. s.: Chamaepsila WT11
    |           |--C. hennigi WT11
    |           `--C. rosae O98
    |         Electrochyliza succini S87
    |--Belobackenbardiinae B10
    |--Chyliza [Chylizinae] B10
    |    |--C. apicalis B10
    |    |--C. bigoti B10
    |    |--C. consanguinea B10
    |    |--C. enthea B10
    |    |--C. notata B10
    |    `--C. varipes B10
    `--Psilinae B10
         |--Loxocera B10
         |    |  i. s.: L. albiseta B10
         |    |         L. collaris [incl. L. californica] B10
         |    |         L. cylindrica S87
         |    |--L. (Loxocera) ichneumonea [=Scatophaga (L.) ichneumonea] G20
         |    `--L. (Imantimyia) B10
         |         |--L. (I.) achaeta B10
         |         `--L. (I.) ignyodactyla B10
         `--Psila B10 [incl. Pseudopsila S87]
              |  i. s.: P. gracilis K01
              |         P. nigra K01
              |         P. pallida K01
              |         P. rosae S87
              |--P. (Psila) exigua B10
              `--P. (Xenopsila) B10
                   |--P. (X.) collaris B10
                   `--P. (X.) lateralis B10

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[B10] Buck, M. 2010. Psilidae (rust flies, psilid 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. 837–842. NRC Research Press: Ottawa.

[G20] Goldfuss, G. A. 1820. Handbuch der Naturgeschichte vol. 3. Handbuch der Zoologie pt 1. Johann Leonhard Schrag: Nürnberg.

[K01] Kertész, K. 1901. Legyek [Dipteren]. In: Horváth, G. (ed.) Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazása [Dritte Asiatische Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] vol. 2. Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazásának Állattani Eredményei [Zoologische Ergebnisse der Dritten Asiatischen Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] pp. 179–201. Victor Hornyánszky: Budapest, and Karl W. Hierseman: Leipzig.

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

[S87] Steyskal, G. C. 1987. Psilidae. In: McAlpine, J. F. (ed.) Manual of Nearctic Diptera vol. 2 pp. 781–784. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada.

[WT11] Wiegmann, B. M., M. D. Trautwein, I. S. Winkler, N. B. Barr, J.-W. Kim, C. Lambkin, M. A. Bertone, B. K. Cassel, K. M. Bayless, A. M. Heimberg, B. M. Wheeler, K. J. Peterson, T. Pape, B. J. Sinclair, J. H. Skevington, V. Blagoderov, J. Caravas, S. N. Kutty, U. Schmidt-Ott, G. E. Kampmeier, F. C. Thompson, D. A. Grimaldi, A. T. Beckenbach, G. W. Courtney, M. Friedrich, R. Meier & D. K. Yeates. 2011. Episodic radiations in the fly tree of life. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 108 (14): 5690–5695.

Last updated: 29 June 2021.

Asteiidae

Asteia beata, copyright John Rosenfeld.

Belongs within: Schizophora.

The Asteiidae are a cosmopolitan but little-studied group of small, generally soft-bodied flies. Most species (placed in the subfamily Asteiinae) have wings with vein R₂₊₃ relatively short, reaching the costa at about the middle of the wing, but the Holarctic genus Leiomyza has this vein longer and reaching the costa about the distal quarter of the wing. Members of the Asteiinae may be divided between the tribes Sigaloessini, in which wings possess both crossvein dm-cu and an alula, and Asteiini, in which both these features are absent (Freidberg 2010).

See also: The asteiids: overlooked flies.

Characters (from Freidberg 2010): Small (body length 1–5 mm), winged, generally weakly sclerotised flies. Coloration varying from predominantly yellow to predominantly black, but more or less elaborate and contrasting pattern usually present on some or all major body parts. Head rectangular to oval in lateral view, with zero to two short to long fronto-orbital seta. Antenna short, with first flagellomere usually rounded. Arista usually well developed, with short to long alternating rays (microtrichia), occasionally reduced or absent. Proboscis short, with fleshy labella. Males with interfrontal stripes. Thorax with one to four dorsocentral setae; when four then anterior dorsocentral seta presutural. Scutellum short, convex, usually with two pairs of setae, basal seta much shorter than apical seta or absent. Acrostichal setulae zero to two rows, without setae. Pleura without setae; anepisternum sometimes with setulae. Legs without overt features. Wing usually elongate, covering abdomen and extending beyond it when at rest. Vein R₂₊₃ short, ending at tip of vein R₁ or slightly more distally except in Leiomyza, in which it reaches distal 0.75 of wing. Vein M₁ concave anteriorly, distally convergent with vein R₄₊₅. Crossvein dm-cu present or absent. Alula bare or with marginal cilia. Abdomen with weakly sclerotised tergites except in Leiomyza. Spiracles two to six situated in tergites; spiracle seven absent. Male terminalia symmetric in Leiomyza, asymmetric in most other taxa. Surstylus fused with epandrium. Phallus usually large and heavily sclerotised. Female terminalia simple, segment 7 sometimes developed as an incomplete oviscape. Two sclerotised spermathecae present.

<==Asteiidae F10
    |  i. s.: Astiosoma flaveolum S87
    |         Succinasteia carpenteri S87
    |         Bahamia longiceps S87
    |--Leiomyza Macquart 1835 C-T92 [Leiomyzinae F10]
    |    |--L. dudai Sabrosky 1956 C-T92
    |    |--L. laevigata (Meigen 1830) C-T92
    |    `--L. nitidula CM91
    `--Asteiinae [Asteinae] F10
         |--Asteiini F10
         |    |--Loewimyia bifurcata F10
         |    `--Asteia [incl. Asteimyia] F10
         |         |--A. (Asteia) amoena Meigen 1830 C-T92
         |         |--A. antennata [=Asteimyia antennata] F10
         |         |--A. beata F10
         |         |--A. palikuensis O98
         |         `--A. spinosa [=Asteimyia spinosa] F10
         `--Sigaloessini F10
              |--Anarista F10
              |--Tucumyia liniaris F10
              |--Sigaloessa [incl. Crepidohamma] CM70
              |    `--S. bicolor F10
              `--Phlebosotera F10
                   |--P. setipalpis F10
                   `--P. shewelli S87

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[C-T92] Carles-Tolrá, M. 1992. New and interesting records of Diptera Acalyptrata from Spain. Part I: Acartophthalmidae, Opomyzidae, Anthomyzidae, Asteiidae, Carnidae, Tethinidae, Milichiidae and Cryptochetidae. Bull. Annls Soc. R. Belge Ent. 128: 343–353.

[CM70] Colless, D. H., & D. K. McAlpine. 1970. Diptera (flies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers pp. 656–740. Melbourne University Press.

[CM91] Colless, D. H., & D. K. McAlpine. 1991. Diptera (flies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers 2^nd ed. vol. 2 pp. 717–786. Melbourne University Press: Carlton (Victoria).

[F10] Freidberg, A. 2010. Asteiidae (asteiid 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. 1093–1096. NRC Research Press: Ottawa.

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

[S87] Sabrosky, C. W. 1987. Asteiidae. In: McAlpine, J. F. (ed.) Manual of Nearctic Diptera vol. 2 pp. 899–902. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada.

Last updated: 29 June 2021.

Clusiidae

Sobarocephala flaviseta, copyright Katja Schulz.

Belongs within: Schizophora.

The Clusiidae are a group of relatively slender flies that are commonly associated with humid habitats. They are characterised by the possession of a porrect antenna with a dorsoapical arista and triangular extensions on the outer and sometimes inner distal margins of the pedicel. In most members of the subfamily Clusiodinae, the anterior pair of fronto-orbital bristles is reclinate whereas members of other subfamilies, and of the clusiodine genus Heteromeringia, have these bristles inclinate (Lonsdale & Marshall 2010).

Characters (from Lonsdale & Marshall 2010): Relatively elongate flies. Colour various but usually all or partly yellow with wing frequently infuscated. Arista pubescent to densely plumose; vibrissa well developed; face usually soft, receding. Outer and sometimes inner distal margins of pedicel with triangular extensions, outer extension distinct and acute in Clusiinae and Sobarocephalinae, blunt and obtuse in Clusiodinae. Ocellar and/or postocellar bristles usually small to absent, divergent when present. Subcosta complete and subcostal break present (sometimes indistinct in Clusiodinae).

<==Clusiidae [Clusiodidae, Heteroneuridae]
    |--Clusiinae LM10
    |    |--Clusia lateralis LM10, S87
    |    |--Phylloclusia LM10
    |    |--Tetrameringia ustulata LM10, O98
    |    |--Melanoclusia LM10
    |    `--Apiochaeta LM10
    |         |--A. bicolor LM10
    |         `--A. connexa LM10
    |--Sobarocephalinae LM10
    |    |--Chaetoclusia bakeri LM10
    |    |--Procerosoma alini LM10
    |    `--Sobarocephala LM10
    |         |--S. beckeri Hennig 1956 S63b
    |         |--S. boliviana Soós 1963 S63b
    |         |--S. columbiensis Soós 1962 S63b
    |         |--S. dudichi Soós 1963 S63b
    |         |--S. festiva Czerny 1929 S63b
    |         |--S. flava LM10
    |         |--S. flaviseta LM10
    |         |--S. fumipennis Soós 1963 S63b
    |         |--S. lanei Curran 1939 S63b
    |         |--S. latifrons LM10
    |         |--S. nigrofacies Soós 1962 S63b
    |         |--S. nitida Soós 1963 S63b
    |         |--S. picta Hennig 1938 S63b
    |         |--S. pictipennis (Kertész 1903) [=Monorrhexa pictipennis] S63b
    |         |--S. plumata Melander & Argo 1925 S63b
    |         |--S. pruinosa Soós 1962 S63b
    |         |--S. quadrimaculata Soós 1963 S63b
    |         |--S. sabroskyi Soós 1963 S63b
    |         |--S. strigata Hennig 1938 S63b
    |         |--S. styskali Soós 1963 S63b
    |         |--S. testacea [incl. Chaetoclusia affinis] S87
    |         |--S. variegata Melander & Argo 1925 S63b
    |         `--S. zeugma Hennig 1938 S63b
    `--Clusiodinae LM10
         |--Craspedochaeta concinna LM10
         |--Clusiodes LM10
         |    |--C. albimanus LM10
         |    `--C. johnsoni LM10
         |--Hendelia LM10
         |    |--*H. beckeri Czerny 1903 LM10, S63a [incl. H. nigripalpis Czerny 1928 S63a]
         |    |--H. kinetrolicros LM10
         |    `--H. mirabilis [=Clusiodes mirabilis] LM10
         |--Heteromeringia [incl. Tranomeringia] LM10
         |    |--H. czernyi LM10
         |    |--H. fumipennis LM10
         |    |--H. nitida LM10
         |    `--H. norrisi CM91
         `--Allometopon LM10

Clusiidae incertae sedis:
  Electroclusiodes LM10
    |--E. meunieri S87
    `--E. radiospinosa S87
  Trichoclusia M87
  Chaetoclusiella M87
  Prohendelia Frey 1960 S63a
    |--P. (Prohendelia) S63a
    |    |--*P. (P.) orientalis Frey 1960 S63a
    |    `--P. (P.) freyi Soós 1963 S63a
    `--P. (Aristohendelia) orientalis S63a
  Parahendelia McAlpine 1960 S63a
    `--*P. latifrons McAlpine 1960 S63a

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[CM91] Colless, D. H., & D. K. McAlpine. 1991. Diptera (flies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers 2^nd ed. vol. 2 pp. 717–786. Melbourne University Press: Carlton (Victoria).

[LM10] Lonsdale, O., & S. A. Marshall. 2010. Clusiidae (clusiid 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. 1041–1048. NRC Research Press: Ottawa.

[M87] McAlpine, J. F. 1987. Acartophthalmidae. In: McAlpine, J. F. (ed.) Manual of Nearctic Diptera vol. 2 pp. 859–861. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada.

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

[S63a] Soós, Á. 1963a. Prohendelia (Prohendelia) freyi spec. nov., and some notes on the genus Hendelia Czerny s. l. (Diptera: Clusiidae). Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 9 (1–2): 177–182.

[S63b] Soós, Á. 1963b. Identification key to the species of the "plumata-group" of the genus Sobarocephala Czerny (Diptera: Clusiidae). Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 9 (3–4): 391–396.

[S87] Soós, Á. 1987. Clusiidae. In: McAlpine, J. F. (ed.) Manual of Nearctic Diptera vol. 2 pp. 853–857. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada.

Last updated: 29 June 2021.