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University of Tennessee Biological Field Station
August 8-10, 2008

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Photos from the 2007 gathering in Minnesota

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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » Acalyptratae » Tephritoidea » Signal Flies (Platystomatidae)

Family Platystomatidae - Signal Flies

Classification · Other Common Names · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Habitat · Season · Life Cycle · Remarks · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Picture-winged 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)

Other Common Names

Picture-Winged Flies (not recommended, as that name more commonly refers to Ulidiidae)

Explanation of Names

Signal Flies: wings are in almost constant motion, as though giving signals

Numbers

41 species in 4 genera in North America listed at nearctica.com; 34 of those species belong to genus Rivellia

Arnett, p. 891, lists 41 North American species. (1)

Size

body length 3-12 mm

Identification

Arnett, p. 891, lists Rivellia (34 spp.) and R. quadrifasciata in particular, as being relatively common. (1)

Habitat

Occur mostly in fields, some in woodlands.

Season

Summer. Insects of Cedar Creek Minnesota lists two genera as ocurring May-September. Brimley, p. 381, lists species of Rivellia for May-September in North Carolina. (2)

Life Cycle

"Known larvae found on decaying vegetation." (1)

Remarks

Infraorder SCHIZOPHORA ACALYPTRATAE (Arnett Families 49-97)

...

Ulidiidae [=Otitidae], Platystomatidae, Tephritidae,

...

Arnett, p. 840, lists Otitidae [now Ulidiidae] (family 58) and Platystomatidae (family 59) as part of superfamily Tephritoidea. (1)

Print References

Arnett, p. 891 (1)

Borror and White, p. 288, description, wing illustrated, p. 289 (3)

Brimley, p. 381--lists under Ortalidae (2)

Internet References

Insects of Cedar Creek pinned adult photos of Amphicnephes pullus and Rivellia from Minnesota

family description and common name references (L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz, British Insects: the Families of Diptera)

photos of stalk-eyed signal flies from southeast Asia (David McAlpine, Australian Museum Collections)

USDA SEL photo of adult male stalk-eyed signal fly in genus Achias from southeast Asia

live adult images of several species from Australia (Peter Chew, Australia)

Works Cited

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

2.	Insects of North Carolina By C.S. Brimley

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

Contributed by Cotinis on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm
Additional contributions by Robin McLeod, Keith Bayless
Last updated 6 April, 2007 - 1:57pm

Taxonomic confusion

I'm confused. Is this a different family than Otitidae/Ululidae?

Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina

… Cotinis, 12 September, 2004 - 1:01am

Picture-winged flies

I share your confusion, Patrick.

… Richard Leung, 5 October, 2004 - 10:45pm

Yes, separate families, same common name?

Insects of Cedar Creek calls these "Platystomatid Flies", and they are separate from the Otitidae. That's not a very useful common name.

I guess the common name (Picturewing flies) for the family is basically the same as that for the Otitidae. OK, I sort of understand. They sure do look similar.

They are related families. Insects of Cedar Creek--diptera page lists:
Infraorder SCHIZOPHORA ACALYPTRATAE (Arnett Families 49-97)
...
Otitidae, Platystomatidae, Tephritidae,
...

OK, so the resemblence of those various families is not just coincidence, but due, perhaps partly, to a close relationship. As BugGuide grows, we (Troy?) will probably want to add some of these higher classifications so that things make a bit more sense, and one can see the relationships in an order by browsing. Of course, there is often disagreement and shuffling of these higher-level taxonomic groups.

Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina

… Cotinis, 6 October, 2004 - 9:37am

Picture winged flies

If that's the case, I'm moving photos 6517, 3933, and 7549 which show similar flies to the other picture-winged flies page since Paul Beuk identified one as belonging to Otitidae. Perhaps the name of the page showing the Platystomatid flies should be changed to avoid confusion.

… Richard Leung, 6 October, 2004 - 6:32pm

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