Family Scathophagidae - Dung Flies

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Numbers · Size · Identification · Habitat · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Golden Dung Fly - Scathophaga stercoraria

Golden Dung Fly eating another fly - Scathophaga stercoraria

Goldem Dung Fly - Scathophaga stercoraria

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Diptera (Flies)

No Taxon (Calyptratae)

Superfamily Muscoidea

Family Scathophagidae (Dung Flies)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Apparently it was Scatophagidae at one point, but according to NAL Agricultural Thesaurus, Scathophagidae is preferred.

Numbers

140 species in North America (probably many more).

Size

4-13 mm.

Identification

Bare ventral surface of scutellum. Costa usually without spinules.

Wing venation of Scathophagidae.

Habitat

Some larvae live in dung, others are leaf miners, stem-borers or feed in seed capsules, still others are aquatic predators and predators on other insect larvae in wet situations .

(1)

1.	American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico By Ross H. Arnett

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset
Last updated 27 January, 2008 - 3:54pm

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