Other Common Names
"Cheese Skippers" after the Cheese Skipper Piophila casei, a widespread species known to breed in stored cheese and meat.
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Includes the former families Neottiophilidae and Thyreophoridae
Explanation of Names
Piophilidae Macquart 1835
The common name refers to the larva's ability to make long jumps by grasping its "tail" in its mouth and then suddenly releasing it. They generally breed in rancid fats. (Eric Eaton)
Numbers
~60 spp. in 14 genera in our area, >80 spp. in 14 genera total
(1)Range
worldwide; by far most diverse in the temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere; many spp. of Piophilinae are Holarctic, and a few are cosmopolitan
(2)Remarks
In the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, the larvae are intentionally introduced into pecorino cheese to produce the characteristic casu marzu ("rotten cheese" in Sardinian).