Family Chloropidae - Frit Flies

Classification · Other Common Names · Identification · Habitat · Food · Remarks · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Diptera (Flies)

No Taxon (Acalyptratae)

Family Chloropidae (Frit Flies)

Color variable, some species blackish or grayish, some brightly colored with black and yellow. Ocellar triangle usually large, shining.

Habitat

Very common in meadows and grassy areas, though they may be found in a variety of habitats.

Food

Larvae feed on grass stems. Some are serious pests of cereals. Some scavengers, some parasitic or predaceous.

Remarks

They are attracted to the eyes, sometimes are called eye gnats. They are vectors of yaws and pink eye.

Print References

Borror & White, pp. 298-299 (1)

(2)

(3)

Internet References

http://cedarcreek.umn.edu/insects/029094n.html

Wikipedia

Works Cited

1.	A Field Guide to Insects By Richard E. White, Donald J. Borror, Roger Tory Peterson

2.	Peterson First Guide to Insects of North America By Richard E. White, Christopher Leahy, Roger Tory Peterson

3.	Borror and DeLong's Introduction to the Study of Insects By Norman F. Johnson, Charles A. Triplehorn

Contributed by Richard Leung on 23 April, 2005 - 3:47pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset
Last updated 21 December, 2007 - 12:57pm

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