Family Lonchaeidae - Lance Flies

Classification · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Identification · Habitat · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Print References · Works Cited

small black shiny fly on stump - Lonchaea

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Diptera (Flies)

No Taxon ("Acalyptratae")

Superfamily Tephritoidea

Family Lonchaeidae (Lance Flies)

Explanation of Names

Lonchaeidae Rondani 1856

Numbers

~120 spp. in 6 genera in our area (72 spp. of Lonchaea and 36 of Dasiops)(1); ~580 spp. in 9 genera total(2)

Identification

key to genera(2)

Habitat

Most larvae live behind bark of dead trees; some live on decaying fruits or vegetables.

Food

Some feed on bark beetle larvae

Life Cycle

Click on an image to view the life cycle:

Remarks

Mostly saprophagous - the larvae feed on dead or damaged plants, although some also feed on live, healthy plants. Several species of lonchaeids form swarms near or above trees, hovering and milling around in the air. This behavior is common in several families of flies (midges, black flies, dance flies, etc.), but lonchaeids are one of the few groups of "higher" flies (calyptrates and acalyptrates) that do it. (Comment by Terry Wheeler)

Some can be considered beneficial

Print References

MacGowan, I. 2023. World Catalogue of the family Lonchaeidae (Diptera, Cyclorrhapha, Acalyptratae). Zootaxa 5307: 1-96.

Works Cited

1.	American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico Ross H. Arnett. 2000. CRC Press.

2.	MacGowan I. (2013-) Lonchaeidae Online

Contributed by Joel Kits on 2 April, 2005 - 10:39pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Keith Bayless, Bbarnd, Ted Kropiewnicki, Wisconsin Oecanthinancy, v belov, Marci Hess, Arturo Santos
Last updated 19 November, 2023 - 3:56pm

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