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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » Acalyptratae » Tephritoidea » Signal Flies (Platystomatidae) » Pogonortalis » Boatman Fly (Pogonortalis doclea)

Species Pogonortalis doclea - Boatman Fly

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Range · Food · Remarks · Internet References
Twitchy fly - Pogonortalis doclea Picture-winged Fly? - Pogonortalis doclea Boatman Fly for California in February - Pogonortalis doclea Boatman Fly Series - Pogonortalis doclea Boatman Fly for California in May - Pogonortalis doclea Boatman Fly for California in May - Pogonortalis doclea Smaller boatman fly - Pogonortalis doclea Smaller boatman fly - Pogonortalis doclea
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Diptera (Flies)
No Taxon (Acalyptratae)
Superfamily Tephritoidea
Family Platystomatidae (Signal Flies)
Genus Pogonortalis
Species doclea (Boatman Fly)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
First described in 1849 by Francis Walker as Musca doclea
Explanation of Names
"Boatman Fly" comes from the way they wave their wings, like oars on a rowboat.

doclea is the Roman name of a place in what is now Montenegro, but there may be no connection with the scientific name.
Numbers
This is the only species in its genus found in our area
Range
Australia. Introduced into California
Food
Adults are attracted to mammalian dung to feed.
Remarks
The males wave their wings in display and engage in head-to-head combat.
Internet References
Review of the Australasian Genera of Signal Flies(Diptera: Platystomatidae) by David K. McAlpine (PDF format)
Contributed by Chuck Entz on 29 March, 2006 - 10:16pm
Last updated 2 March, 2010 - 3:01am

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