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Family Rhagionidae - Snipe Flies
Classification Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Diptera (Flies)
No Taxon (Orthorrhapha)
Infraorder Tabanomorpha
Family Rhagionidae (Snipe Flies)
Other Common Names sometimes called 'downlooker flies' because of the characteristic resting stance (1)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes Classification has been unstable (2)
Recently split into 3 families, incl. Bolbomyiidae and the exotic Austroleptidae (Chile, Australia; 8 spp.) with a single genus each (3)
Explanation of Names Rhagionidae Latreille 1892
Numbers ~100 spp. in 8 genera in our area; worldwide, >750 spp. in 17 extant genera arranged in 4 subfamilies, all represented in our area as follows: (3)
Arthrocerinae: a single genus worldwide, Arthroceras, with 4 spp. in our area, 8 spp. total
Chrysopilinae: 3 genera worldwide, one very large and nearly cosmopolitan ( Chrysopilus) + 2 small genera restricted to the Philippines
Rhagioninae: 5 genera worldwide, of which Rhagio (Holarctic + some Oriental) is by far the largest, 2 restricted to the southern hemisphere, one to tropical Asia, and one to Mexico ( Sierramyia)
Spaniinae: 6 genera (with ~80 spp.) worldwide, of which one genus is endemic to Australia and the remaining five are all Holarctic and represented in our area by 43 spp., incl. Symphoromyia (by far the largest), Litoleptis, Omphalophora, Ptiolina, and Spania
Identification Head somewhat rounded; abdomen relatively long and tapering, legs rather long. The body may be bare or covered with short hairs. Most snipe flies are brownish or gray, but some are black with spots or stripes of white, yellow or green.
NB: In couplet 1 of the key in (4), the 2 and 5 are backwards. (5)
Range Worldwide; less than half of our spp. are eastern (6)
Habitat Adults common in woods, esp. near moist places, usually found on foliage or grass, resting head down; larvae in moist meadow soil, moss, decaying wood (incl. galleries of wood-boring insects), under bark, occasionally in water (6)(7)
Food adults and larvae prey on small insects. Most do not bite, but Symphoromyia females are common biting pests in the west (8)(7)
Remarks This family contains some of the most primitive extant Brachycera, and may have diversified ca. 170 mya
Print References Leonard, M.D. (1930). A revision of the Dipterous family Rhagionidae (Leptidae) in the United States and Canada. Mem. Am. ent. Soc. 7. 181 pp., 3 pl. ( Full Text)
Works Cited 4. | Manual of Nearctic Diptera Volume 1 Varies for each chapter; edited by J.F. McAlpine, B.V. Petersen, G.E. Shewell, H.J. Teskey, J.R. Vockeroth, D.M. Wood. 1981. Research Branch Agriculture Canada. | |
5. | Manual of Nearctic Diptera Volume 2 Varies for each chapter; edited by J.F. McAlpine, B.V. Petersen, G.E. Shewell, H.J. Teskey, J.R. Vockeroth, D.M. Wood. 1987. Research Branch Agriculture Canada. | |
7. | Medical and Veterinary Entomology Gary Mullen, Lance Durden. 2002. Academic Press. | |
8. | Borror and DeLong's Introduction to the Study of Insects Norman F. Johnson, Charles A. Triplehorn. 2004. Brooks Cole. | |
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