The Brachycera are a
suborder
Order ( la, ordo) is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy. It is classified between family and class. In biological classification, the order is a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms and ...
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 ...
.
It is a major suborder consisting of around 120
families
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideall ...
.
Their most distinguishing characteristic is reduced
antenna
Antenna ( antennas or antennae) may refer to:
Science and engineering
* Antenna (radio), also known as an aerial, a transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic (e.g., TV or radio) waves
* Antennae Galaxies, the name of two collid ...
segmentation.
Description
A summary of the main physical characteristics is:
*
Antenna
Antenna ( antennas or antennae) may refer to:
Science and engineering
* Antenna (radio), also known as an aerial, a transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic (e.g., TV or radio) waves
* Antennae Galaxies, the name of two collid ...
size (with eight or fewer
flagellomere
Antennae ( antenna), sometimes referred to as "feelers", are paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods.
Antennae are connected to the first one or two segments of the arthropod head. They vary widely in form but are always made of one o ...
s) is reduced.
* The
maxillary palp
Maxillary means "related to the maxilla (upper jaw bone)". Terms containing "maxillary" include:
*Maxillary artery
*Maxillary nerve
*Maxillary prominence
*Maxillary sinus
{{disambig ...
(an elongated appendage near the mouth) has two segments or fewer.
* The back portions of the larval head capsule extend into the
prothorax
The prothorax is the foremost of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the first pair of legs. Its principal sclerites (exoskeletal plates) are the pronotum (dorsal), the prosternum (ventral), and the propleuron (lateral) on ea ...
(the anterior part of the thorax, which bears the first pair of legs).
* Two distinct parts make up of the larval
mandible
In anatomy, the mandible, lower jaw or jawbone is the largest, strongest and lowest bone in the human facial skeleton. It forms the lower jaw and holds the lower tooth, teeth in place. The mandible sits beneath the maxilla. It is the only movabl ...
(lower jaw).
* The
epandrium and
hypandrium of the
genitalia
A sex organ (or reproductive organ) is any part of an animal or plant that is involved in sexual reproduction. The reproductive organs together constitute the reproductive system. In animals, the testis in the male, and the ovary in the female, a ...
are separated in males.
* No
premandible is present on the lower surface of the
labrum (the roof of the mouth).
* The configuration of the CuA2 and A1
wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...
veins
Veins are blood vessels in humans and most other animals that carry blood towards the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are the pulmonary and umbilical veins, both of which carry oxygenated b ...
is distinct.
Brachyceran flies can also be distinguished through behavior. Many of the species are
predator
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...
s or
scavenger
Scavengers are animals that consume dead organisms that have died from causes other than predation or have been killed by other predators. While scavenging generally refers to carnivores feeding on carrion, it is also a herbivorous feeding b ...
s.
Classification
The structure of subgroups within the Brachycera is a source of much confusion and controversy; many of the names used historically (e.g.,
Orthorrhapha
Orthorrhapha is a circumscriptional name which historically was used for an infraorder of Brachycera, one of the two suborders into which the order Diptera, the flies, are divided. As the group was paraphyletic, it has not been used in classificati ...
) have not been used in decades, but still persist in textbooks, checklists, faunal catalogs, and other sources. Additionally, most recent classifications no longer use the Linnaean ranks for taxa (e.g., the
Tree of Life Web Project
The Tree of Life Web Project is an Internet project providing information about the diversity and phylogeny of life on Earth.
This collaborative peer reviewed project began in 1995, and is written by biologists from around the world. The site h ...
), and this creates its own set of problems.
See also
*
Larger brachycera The larger brachycera is a name which refers to flies in the following families of the suborder Brachycera:
* Acroceridae – hunch-back flies
* Asilidae – robber flies
* Athericidae – water snipe flies
* Bombyliidae – bee flies
* Rhagionida ...
External links
The Tree of Life Web Project: BrachyceraBrachycera images
References
{{Authority control
Insect suborders