The Acalyptratae or Acalyptrata are a subsection of the

Schizophora The Schizophora are a section of true flies containing 78 families, which are collectively referred to as muscoids, although technically the term "muscoid" should be limited to flies in the superfamily Muscoidea; this is an example of informal, hi ...

, which are a section of the order

Diptera Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced ...

, the "true flies". In various contexts the Acalyptratae also are referred to informally as the acalyptrate muscoids, or acalyptrates, as opposed to the

Calyptratae Calyptratae is a subsection of Schizophora in the insect order Diptera, commonly referred to as the calyptrate muscoids (or simply calyptrates). It consists of those flies which possess a calypter that covers the halteres, among which are som ...

. All forms of the name refer to the lack of

calypter A calypter is either of two posterior lobes of the posterior margin of the forewing of flies between the extreme posterior wing base and the alula, which covers the halteres. The lower calypter is the proximal calypter (synonyms: squama (of som ...

s in the members of this subsection of flies. An alternative name, Acalypterae is current, though in minority usage. It was first used by Pierre-Justin-Marie Macquart in 1835 for a section of his tribe Muscides; he used it to refer to all acalyptrates plus scathophagids and phorids, but excluding

Conopidae The Conopidae, usually known as the thick-headed flies, are a family of flies within the Brachycera suborder of Diptera, and the sole member of the superfamily Conopoidea. Flies of the family Conopidae are distributed worldwide in all the bioge ...

. The confusing forms of the names stem from their first usage; ''Acalyptratae'' and ''Acalyptrata'' actually are adjectival forms in

New Latin New Latin (also called Neo-Latin or Modern Latin) is the revival of Literary Latin used in original, scholarly, and scientific works since about 1500. Modern scholarly and technical nomenclature, such as in zoological and botanical taxonomy ...

. They were coined in the mid 19th century in contexts such as "Muscae Calyptratae and Acalyptratae" and "Diptera Acalyptrata", and the forms stuck. The Acalyptratae are a large assemblage, exhibiting very diverse habits, with one notable and perhaps surprising exception: no known acalyptrates are obligate blood-feeders (

hematophagous Hematophagy (sometimes spelled haematophagy or hematophagia) is the practice by certain animals of feeding on blood (from the Greek words αἷμα ' "blood" and φαγεῖν ' "to eat"). Since blood is a fluid tissue rich in nutritious p ...

), though blood feeding at various stages of the life history is common throughout other

n sections.

Classification

The classification of the Acalyptratae has varied over time, and the below list is likely to change in future. *Subsection Acalyptratae **Superfamily Conopoidea ***

**Superfamily

Tephritoidea The Tephritoidea are a superfamily of flies. It has over 7,800 species, the majority of them in family Tephritidae. The following families are included: * Ctenostylidae * Eurygnathomyiidae * Lonchaeidae - lance flies * Pallopteridae — flutter ...

***

Ctenostylidae The enigmatic fly family Ctenostylidae is a small group of very rare flies formerly included in the family Pyrgotidae (as the subfamily "Lochmostyliinae"); the principal reason for their inclusion in the Pyrgotidae was the absence of ocelli, a fea ...

*** Eurygnathomyiidae ***

Lonchaeidae The Lonchaeidae are a family of acalyptrate flies commonly known as lance flies. About 500 described species are placed into 9 genera. These are generally small but robustly built flies with blue-black or metallic bodies. They are found, mainly ...

***

Pallopteridae Pallopteridae is a family of flies. The various species are collectively called flutter-wing flies, trembling-wing, or waving-wing flies, because of the striking vibration of the wings in many species. Over 70 species in about 15 genera are foun ...

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Piophilidae The Piophilidae are a family of "true flies", in the order Diptera. The so-called cheese flies are the best-known members, but most species of the Piophilidae are scavengers in animal products, carrion, and fungi. They may accordingly be impo ...

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Platystomatidae The Platystomatidae (signal flies) are a distinctive family of flies (Diptera) in the superfamily Tephritoidea. Signal flies are worldwide in distribution, found in all the biogeographic realms, but predominate in the tropics. It is one of the ...

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Pyrgotidae The Pyrgotidae are an unusual family of flies (Diptera), one of only two families of Cyclorrhapha that lack ocelli. Most species are "picture-winged" (i.e., have patterns of bands or spots on the wings), as is typical among the Tephritoidea, but ...

***

Richardiidae The Richardiidae are a family (biology), family of Fly, Diptera in the Taxonomic rank, superfamily Tephritoidea. This small family consists of just over 30 genera and 175 species. Almost all species are neotropical. Generally, the biology of th ...

***

Tephritidae The Tephritidae are one of two fly families referred to as fruit flies, the other family being the Drosophilidae. The family Tephritidae does not include the biological model organisms of the genus ''Drosophila'' (in the family Drosophilidae), w ...

(including Tachiniscidae) ***

Ulidiidae The Ulidiidae (formerly Otitidae) or picture-winged flies are a large and diverse cosmopolitan family of flies (Diptera), and as in related families, most species are herbivorous or detritivorous. They are often known as picture-winged flies, alo ...

**Superfamily

Nerioidea Nerioidea is a superfamily of Acalyptratae flies. Description As flies, Nerioidea undergo complete metamorphosis with the four life stages of egg, larva, pupa and adult. The adult stage has three body segments (head, thorax and abdomen), th ...

*** Cypselosomatidae *** Fergusoninidae ***

Micropezidae The Micropezidae are a moderate-sized family of acalyptrate muscoid flies in the insect order Diptera, comprising about 500 species in about 50 genera and five subfamilies worldwide, (except New Zealand and Macquarie Island).McAlpine, D.K. (1998 ...

***

Neriidae The Neriidae are a family of true flies (Diptera) closely related to the Micropezidae. Some species are known as cactus flies, while others have been called banana stalk flies and the family was earlier treated as subfamily of the Micropezidae w ...

*** Pseudopomyzidae *** Strongylophthalmyiidae ***

Tanypezidae The Tanypezidae, known as the “stretched-foot flies”, are small family of acalyptrate Diptera (Schizophora, Brachycera). The 28 species are found mostly in the New World, divided between two genera: ''Tanypeza'' (2 species) is found in North ...

**Superfamily Diopsoidea ***

Diopsidae Stalk-eyed flies are insects of the fly family Diopsidae. The family is distinguished from most other flies by most members of the family possessing "eyestalks": projections from the sides of the head with the eyes at the end. Some fly species fr ...

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Gobryidae The Gobryidae are a family of five species in the genus ''Gobrya''. Walker described the genus in 1860. They are relatively rare and found in Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri M ...

***

Megamerinidae The Megamerinidae are a family of flies (Diptera) with about 11 species in three genera. They are small and are marked by an elongated, basally constricted abdomen. The family has been variously placed in the past within the superfamilies Diopsoi ...

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Nothybidae The family Nothybidae contains only the genus ''Nothybus,'' a group of colorful and elongated flies. The family has been recently revised. Taxonomy and description The morphology of Nothybidae is distinctive. The prothorax is elongated, with the ...

***

Psilidae The Psilidae are family of flies. Commonly called the rust flies, at least 38 species are in four genera. The carrot fly (''Chamaepsila rosae'') is a member of this group. They are found mainly in the Holarctic. Description For terms see Morphol ...

*** Somatiidae ***

Syringogastridae ''Syringogaster'' is a genus of small (4 to 6 mm) ant-mimicking flies with a petiolate abdomen, a long prothorax, a swollen and spiny hind femur, and reduced head size and large eyes. There are 20 described extant species and two species ...

**Superfamily

Sciomyzoidea Sciomyzoidea is a superfamily of Acalyptratae flies. The families placed here include at least the following: * Coelopidae – seaweed flies * Dryomyzidae * Helcomyzidae * Helosciomyzidae * Heterocheilidae * Huttoninidae * Natalimyzi ...

***

Coelopidae The Coelopidae or kelp flies are a family of Acalyptratae flies (order Diptera), they are sometimes also called seaweed flies, though both terms are used for a number of seashore Diptera. Fewer than 40 species occur worldwide. The family is fou ...

*** Dryomyzidae ***

Helcomyzidae The Helcomyzidae are a small family of flies in the Acalyptratae. The larvae feed on kelp and other organic matter washed up on shorelines. Species diversity is highest in New Zealand and south temperate South America. They are sometimes allied w ...

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Helosciomyzidae The Helosciomyzidae are a small family of flies - 9 genera and 22 species. All are known from the Southern Hemisphere. With the exception of the South American genus '' Sciogriphoneura'', the family occurs in Australia, New Zealand New ...

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Heterocheilidae ''Heterocheila'' is a genus of acalyptrate true flies (Diptera). They are placed in their own family, Heterocheilidae, in the superfamily Sciomyzoidea. They are not widely familiar outside entomological circles, but the common name "half-bridge ...

*** Ropalomeridae ***

Sepsidae The Sepsidae are a family of flies, commonly called the black scavenger flies or ensign flies. Over 300 species are described worldwide. They are usually found around dung or decaying plant and animal material. Many species resemble ants, having ...

***

Sciomyzidae The family Sciomyzidae belongs to the typical flies (Brachycera) of the order Diptera. They are commonly called marsh flies, and in some cases snail-killing flies due to the food of their larvae. Here, the Huttoninidae, Phaeomyiidae and Tetan ...

(including Huttoninidae and Phaeomyiidae) **Superfamily Sphaeroceroidea *** Chyromyidae *** Heleomyzidae *** Heteromyzidae (disputed) *** Nannodastiidae ***

Sphaeroceridae Sphaeroceridae are a family of true flies in the order Diptera, often called small dung flies, lesser dung flies or lesser corpse flies due to their saprophagous habits. They belong to the typical fly suborder Brachycera as can be seen by their ...

**Superfamily Lauxanioidea ***

Celyphidae The Celyphidae, commonly known as beetle flies or beetle-backed flies, are a family of flies (order Diptera). About 115 species in about 9 genera are known chiefly from the Oriental and Afrotropic biogeographic regions with one lineage in the Ne ...

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Chamaemyiidae The Chamaemyiidae are a small family of acalyptrate flies with less than 200 species described worldwide. The larvae of these small flies are active and predatory and are often used for biological control of aphids, scale insects, and similar ...

*** Lauxaniidae **Superfamily

Opomyzoidea The Opomyzoidea are a superfamily of flies. Biology Opomyzoids show a range of lifestyles including mining plant leaves (many Agromyzidae), feeding in grass stems ( Anthomyzidae and Opomyzidae), forming plant galls ('' Fergusonina''), feeding ...

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Agromyzidae The Agromyzidae are a family commonly referred to as the leaf-miner flies, for the feeding habits of their larvae, most of which are leaf miners on various plants. A worldwide family of roughly 2,500 species, they are small, some with wing l ...

*** Anthomyzidae *** Asteiidae *** Aulacigastridae ***

Clusiidae Clusiidae or "druid flies" is a family of small (~ 3.5 mm), thin, yellow to black acalyptrate flies with a characteristic antenna (The second segment of the antennae has a triangular projection over the third segment when viewed from the o ...

*** Marginidae *** Neminidae *** Neurochaetidae ***

Odiniidae Odiniidae is a small family of flies. There are only 58 described species but there are representatives in all the major biogeographic realms. Life histories are known for only few species of ''Odinia'', and no biological information is availa ...

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Opomyzidae Opomyzidae is a family of acalyptrate Diptera. They are generally small, slender, yellow, brown or black coloured flies. The larval food plants are grasses, including cereal crops, the adults are mainly found in open habitats. Some species bein ...

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Periscelididae Periscelididae is a family of flies. Description Periscelididae are small flies, 3-4 mm long. The head is distinctly broader than high and the cheek is broad and bulging posteriorly. The postocellar bristles are present and diverging. The ocella ...

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Teratomyzidae Teratomyzidae are a family of small flies Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, ...

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Xenasteiidae Xenasteiidae is a family of flies Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hin ...

**Superfamily

Ephydroidea The Ephydroidea are a superfamily of muscomorph flies, with over 6,000 species. Description A characteristic of adult Ephydroidea (shared with their relatives such as Calyptratae) is that the pedicel of the antenna has a dorsoventral seam or ...

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Camillidae The Camillidae are a family of flies, or Diptera. The family has five genera (four living; one fossil). Description For terms see Morphology of Diptera Minute ( long), slender, lustrous black flies with hyaline wings. The postvertical bristles ...

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Curtonotidae The Curtotonidae or quasimodo flies are a small family of small grey to dark brown humpbacked flies (Diptera) with a worldwide distribution, but with very few species in the Nearctic, Australasian/Oceanian, and Palaearctic regions. Most members o ...

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Diastatidae Diastatidae are a family of flies, and are in the order Diptera. They occur primarily in the Holarctic Region, but several species are known from the Oriental, Neotropical, and Australasian regions. Members of the family number over 20 describe ...

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Drosophilidae The Drosophilidae are a diverse, cosmopolitan family of flies, which includes species called fruit flies, although they are more accurately referred to as vinegar or pomace flies. Another distantly related family of flies, Tephritidae, are true ...

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Ephydridae Ephydridae (shore fly, sometimes brine fly) is a family of insects in the order Diptera. Shore flies are tiny flies that can be found near seashores or at smaller inland waters, such as ponds. About 2,000 species have been described worldwide, in ...

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Mormotomyiidae The family Mormotomyiidae (Diptera: Ephydroidea) contains only one known species, ''Mormotomyia hirsuta'', commonly known as the frightful hairy flyKirk-Spriggs, A.H., Kotrba, M. & Copeland, R.S. 2011. Further details of the morphology of the en ...

**Superfamily

Carnoidea Carnoidea is a superfamily of Acalyptratae flies. Description In general, carnoids are small flies no more than a few millimetres long. Carnoidea is a poorly defined superfamily. In 1989, ten synapomorphies were described for the group, but ...

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Acartophthalmidae The Acartophthalmidae are a family of very small (1.0-2.5 mm), dark flies with pubescent arista, placed in the order Diptera. All are Holarctic The Holarctic realm is a biogeographic realm that comprises the majority of habitats found th ...

*** Australimyzidae *** Braulidae ***

Canacidae Canacidae, incorrectly Canaceidae, or beach flies, surf or surge flies, is a family of Diptera. There are 113 species in 12 genera. The family now includes Tethininae as a subfamily. Family description For terms see Morphology of Diptera. ...

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Carnidae Carnidae, also known as Bird flies or Filth flies, is a family of flies ( Diptera). There are 6 genera, containing about 93 species worldwide. Most of the species are very small at 1–2 mm. Genera *'' Carnus'' Nitzsch, 1818 *'' Enigmocar ...

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Chloropidae The Chloropidae are a family of flies commonly known as frit flies or grass flies. About 2000 described species are in over 160 genera distributed worldwide. These are usually very small flies, yellow or black and appearing shiny due to the virtu ...

*** Cryptochetidae *** Inbiomyiidae ***

Milichiidae Milichiidae are a family of flies. Most species are very small and dark. Details of their biology have not yet been properly studied, but they are best known as kleptoparasites of predatory invertebrates, and accordingly are commonly known as fr ...

**Acalyptratae incertae sedis *** Paraleucopidae

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q637961