Genus Anthomyia

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Identification · Range · Habitat · Food · Print References · Works Cited

another mysterious Anthomyia - Anthomyia - male

Root-Maggot Fly - Anthomyia procellaris - male

muscoid fly - Anthomyia oculifera - male

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)

Genus Anthomyia

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Anthomyia Meigen 1803

Craspedochaeta

Chelisia

Explanation of Names

Anthomyia Meigen 1803

'flower fly' (from habit of feeding on nectar/pollen)

Numbers

Griffiths(1) recognized 23 species, most of them newly described.

Identification

Species near A. pluvialis can be distinguished from other Anthomyiidae (but not all Muscidae) by the strongly contrasting black and white pattern on the thorax with two spots at front and three spots often fused into a band in the middle.

Some species have dark markings over the crossveins, with two North American species close to the neotropical A. punctipennis having the markings over the distal crossvein split into two spots (unique in North American Anthomyiidae).

Range

Worldwide, including arctic

Habitat

Larvae of some species live in bird nests.

Food

Larval diets include vertebrate feces, decomposing fungi, and tent caterpillar debris. "The adults visit flowers like most other anthomyiids (presumably in order to feed on necatar), but must also feed on decomposing material such as faeces according to their gut contents."(1)

Print References

Ackland D.M. (1987) The genus Anthomyia in the Oriental region (Diptera: Anthomyiidae). Insecta matsumurana 36:39-60 (PDF)

Ackland D.M. (2001) Revision of afrotropical Anthomyia Meigen, 1803 (Diptera: Anthomyiidae), with descriptions of ten new species. African Invertebrates 42: 1-94. (Full text)

Works Cited

1.	Flies of the Nearctic region, Volume VIII: Cyclorrhapha II. (Schizophora: Calyptratae), Part 2: Anthomyiidae, No. 13 Griffiths, Graham C. D. 2001. Schweizerbart.

Contributed by Keith Bayless on 14 February, 2007 - 4:57pm
Additional contributions by Vox Sciurorum, ceiseman, v belov, Arturo Santos
Last updated 17 June, 2020 - 2:38pm

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