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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Acalyptratae" » Sphaeroceroidea » Heleomyzidae

Family Heleomyzidae

Classification · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · See Also · Works Cited
Quited Fly - Suillia quinquepunctata Passenger - Amoebaleria helvola Fly - Suillia sororcula Fly Heleomyzidae - Pseudoleria? - Pseudoleria Orbellia - Orbellia petersoni - male Diptera - Lutomyia spurca fly - Suillia plumata
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Diptera (Flies)
No Taxon ("Acalyptratae")
Superfamily Sphaeroceroidea
Family Heleomyzidae
Other Common Names
Sun Flies, Heleomyzid Flies, Spiny-winged Flies
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Helomyzidae, Heteromyzidae, Trixoscelidae(1)
reviewed in (2)
Explanation of Names
Heleomyzidae Westwood, 1840 (sometimes attributed to Bezzi, 1911)
The English name "Sun Flies" probably comes from a mistranslation of the scientific name, confusing the Ancient Greek heleos (of the marsh) with helios (sun).
Numbers
113 spp. in 34 genera in our area(3), ~740 spp. in 76 genera total(4)
Size
2-7.5 mm(3)
Identification
Small or medium-sized flies with prominent hairs
antennae aristate (bristle projecting upward), with three segments, the third segment short and rounded
vibrissae present
costa usually with prominent spines
middle tibia with preapical dorsal bristle
Range
most diverse in the Holarctic Region
Habitat
Usually in shaded areas, typically near rotting matter (compost, dung, carrion etc.) or fungi; some associated with caves(5) or bird/mammal nests(3)
Season
Tend to be common in early spring and late fall; some species may appear in winter, even in northern areas(5)
See Also
Scathophagidae and Sciomyzidae may look superficially similar
Works Cited
1.A Dictionary of Entomology
George Gordh, David H. Headrick. 2003. CABI Publishing.
2.The heleomyzid flies of America north of Mexico (Diptera: Heleomyzidae)
Gill, G.D. 1962. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 113: 495-603.
3.American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico
Ross H. Arnett. 2000. CRC Press.
4.Order Diptera Linnaeus, 1758. In: Zhang Z.-Q. (ed.) Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification...
Pape T., Blagoderov V., Mostovski M.B. 2011. Zootaxa 3148: 222–229.
5.Insects: Their Natural History And Diversity: With a Photographic Guide to Insects of Eastern North America
Stephen A. Marshall. 2006. Firefly Books Ltd.
Contributed by Joel Kits on 11 March, 2005 - 9:42pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Keith Bayless, Aaron Schusteff, v belov, Chris Angell
Last updated 24 April, 2024 - 9:18am

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