|
Family Anthomyiidae - Root-Maggot Flies
Classification Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Diptera (Flies)
No Taxon (Calyptratae)
Superfamily Muscoidea
Family Anthomyiidae (Root-Maggot Flies)
Explanation of Names Anthomyiidae Robineau-Desvoidy 1830
Numbers ~640 spp. in ~40 genera in our area[cite:xxxx], close to 2,000 spp. in 53 genera total (1)Identification R5 cell parallel-sided, vein A1+CuA2 reaches margin of wing, at least as a fold; hypopleura without bristles.
Most have small hairs under the tip of the scutellum (absent in Muscidae); many have 2 or more posterodorsal setae on the hind tibiae, as well as 3 post-sutural dorsocentral setae. Only a few genera of Muscidae have species with more than 1 posterodorsal seta, and most genera outside of Coenosiini have around 4 post-sutural dorsocentral setae.
The key in (2), developed before the monograph (3) was published, is badly outdated and includes the names Circia (= Alliopsis), Chelisia (= Anthomyia), Chiastocheta (the Nearctic species are now in Botanophila), Pseudochirosia (= Alliopsis), Eremomyioides (= Eutrichota), Crinurina (= Lasiomma), Macrophorbia (= Lasiomma), Anthomyiella (= Calythea), Neohylemyia (= Leucophora), Proboscimyia (= Leucophora), Pycnoglossa (= Chirosia), Hylemyza (= Hylemya), Ganperdea (= Leucophora), Pegomya of couplet 35 (= Eutrichota), Nupedia (= Pegoplata), Pseudonupedia (= Paradelia), Paraprosalpia (= Alliopsis), Eremomyia (= Eutrichota), Craspedochoeta (= Anthomyia), Acrostilpna (= Lasiomma), Macateeia (= Botanophila), and Pegohylemyia (= Botanophila). Habitat adults often on flowers in moist or wooded habitats; also in fields Food Most adults feed on nectar. A few (Egle) feed on pollen, and may be important pollinators. Some (Alliopsis, Zaphne) are predators. Larvae may feed on roots (Delia), leaves (Pegomya), or seeds (Delia, Egle); others live in bird nests (Anthomyia), dung (Calythea, Eutrichota, Hylemya), mushrooms (Anthomyia, Pegomya) or as endoparasitoids of grasshoppers (Acridomyia) or as kleptoparasites of Hymenoptera (Eustalomyia, Leucophora). Life Cycle eggs  early instar larva  later instar larva  puparia  adult  Remarks Except for a few distinctively patterned species, identification to genus requires a dorsal and close lateral shot showing bristle pattern (legs and thorax), calypters, and antenna; stll, identifying some genera requires dissection.
Some are agricultural pests, including Delia antiqua, D. coarctata, D. floralis, D. platura, and D. radicumWorks Cited | 2. | 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. | |
|
|
|
|
