Genus Copromyza

Classification · Numbers · Habitat · Season · Remarks · Works Cited

lesser dung fly - Copromyza equina - male

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Diptera (Flies)

No Taxon ("Acalyptratae")

Superfamily Sphaeroceroidea

Family Sphaeroceridae (Lesser Dung Flies)

Subfamily Copromyzinae

Genus Copromyza

Numbers

3 Nearctic species, 11 worldwide. (1)

Nearctic species:

Copromyza equina Fallen, 1820 [widespread Nearctic, worldwide]

Copromyza neglecta (Malloch, 1913) [widespread Nearctic]

Copromyza stercoraria (Meigen, 1830) [western, Palearctic]

Habitat

Species of Copromyza breed in decaying organic matter, especially excrement, and often in rodent burrows. However, C. equina prefers dung of larger mammals such as horses. (1)

Season

Cold tolerant, sometimes active during the winter. (1)

Remarks

Rarely carry phoretic mites. Norrbom and Kim (1) found mites on 0.84% of about 1200 examined specimens.

Works Cited

1.	Taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships of Copromyza Fallen (s.s.) (Diptera: Sphaeroceridae) Norrbom, A.L. and K.C. Kim. 1985. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 78: 331-347.

Contributed by Joel Kits on 14 June, 2009 - 9:45pm
Additional contributions by Bbarnd
Last updated 20 April, 2014 - 11:33pm

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