Anthomyzidae is small, slender, yellow to black flies with narrow and elongated wings, which may have distinct markings. Some species have greatly reduced wings. Fewer than 100 species are known, mostly from Europe. Although they occur in all major regions, they seem to be most varied in the Holarctic region. Around 20 diverse

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

have been placed in the family. Two, ''Teratomyza'' and ''Teratoptera'', are now in the

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, ...

, and ''Cyamops'' and ''Stenomicra'' are in the Stenomicridae. ''Melanthomyza'' Malloch from Chile should probably not be retained in the family. The remaining genera are very similar to one another.

Description

For terms see Morphology of Diptera These are minute to small (1.3-4.5 mm), slender flies. They are yellow (sometimes with dark spots or stripes) to black in colour. The postverticals on the head are small, convergent or parallel, and rarely absent. Two or three pairs of frontal bristles, which curve backward, are present and usually preceded by one or more weaker bristles. Interfrontal bristles are absent or present. Peristomal bristles ("false vibrissae") are present. In the more common ''Anthomyza'' and ''Paranthomyza'', the lower side of femur 1 has a well-developed spine in apical third. Wings are usually long and narrow and immaculate (sometimes marked). Some species are brachypterous. The costa has a subcostal break and the subcosta is incomplete.

Biology

Larvae have been reported from decaying dicotyledonous plants, from fungi, and in Europe from leaf sheaths of various grasses and of ''

Typha ''Typha'' is a genus of about 30 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae. These plants have a variety of common names, in British English as bulrush or reedmace, in American English as reed, cattail, or punks, in A ...

, Scirpus'', and '' Juncus'', from ''

Lipara Lipari (; scn, Lìpari) is the largest of the Aeolian Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the northern coast of Sicily, southern Italy; it is also the name of the island's main town and ''comune'', which is administratively part of the Metropolit ...

galls on '' Phragmites''. They may be either phytophagous or saprophagous, but damage to cereals or other plants has not been reported. Adults are usually found in moist habitats such as damp meadows, marshes, bogs, and damp deciduous or mixed forests with rich undergrowth. Some species inhabit dry grasslands (some species of'' Anthomyza'' and the brachypterous ''Stiphrosoma sabulosum'').

Phylogeny and taxa

up'' Lacrimyza lacrimosa'' in Baltic Amber ">Baltic_Amber.html" ;"title="Lacrimyza lacrimosa'' in Baltic Amber">Lacrimyza lacrimosa'' in thumb">right">up''Protanthomyza grimaldii'' in Baltic amber Baltic amber fossil Anthomyzidae Fig4 Reliquantha eocena

Baltic amber fossil Anthomyzidae Fig4 Reliquantha eocena

The family includes a number of genera in two subfamilies. *Subfamily Anthomyzinae **''Amnonthomyza'' **''Amygdalops'' **''Anagnota'' **''Anthomyza'' **''Apterosepsis'' **''Barbarista'' **''Carexomyza'' **''Cercagnota'' **''Epischnomyia'' **'' Fungomyza'' **†'' Grimalantha'' ( Burdigalian,

Dominican amber Dominican amber is amber from the Dominican Republic derived from resin of the extinct tree ''Hymenaea protera''. Dominican amber differentiates itself from Baltic amber by being nearly always transparent, and it has a higher number of fossil incl ...

) **'' Ischnomyia'' **†'' Lacrimyza'' ( Lutetian, Baltic Amber) **'' Margdalops'' **'' Mumetopia'' **'' Paranthomyza'' **'' Receptrixa'' **'' Reliquantha'' ( Lutetian, Baltic amber) **'' Santhomyza'' **'' Stiphrosoma'' **'' Typhamyza'' **'' Zealantha'' *Subfamily † Protanthomyzinae **†'' Protanthomyza'' ( Lutetian, Baltic Amber,

Bitterfeld amber The Baltic region is home to the largest known deposit of amber, called Baltic amber or succinite. It was produced sometime during the Eocene epoch, but exactly when is controversial. It has been estimated that these forests created more than 1 ...

)

References

External links

* Encyclopedia of Life
Family Anthomyzidae at EOLDiptera.info
images {{Taxonbar, from=Q1617278 Brachycera families Articles containing video clips

Description

Biology

Phylogeny and taxa

References

Further reading

Species lists

External links