The Coelopidae or kelp flies are a family of

Acalyptratae The Acalyptratae or Acalyptrata are a subsection of the Schizophora, which are a section of the order Diptera, the "true flies". In various contexts the Acalyptratae also are referred to informally as the acalyptrate muscoids, or acalyptrates, as ...

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 hindwings having evolved into advanced ...

(order Diptera), they are sometimes also called seaweed flies, though both terms are used for a number of seashore Diptera. Fewer than 40

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

occur worldwide. The family is found in

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...

areas, with species occurring in the southern Afrotropical,

Holarctic The Holarctic realm is a biogeographic realm that comprises the majority of habitats found throughout the continents in the Northern Hemisphere. It corresponds to the floristic Boreal Kingdom. It includes both the Nearctic zoogeographical reg ...

, and

Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologica ...

n (which has the most species) regions.

Family characteristics

Coelopids are small to medium-sized (, usually ), robust flies, predominantly with a flat body and darkly coloured. Coelopidae species are usually densely bristly or hairy. Their eyes are small. The arista is bare to pubescent. Ocelli and ocellar bristles are present. The postvertical bristles are parallel or converge. The two pairs of frontal bristles curve outward and scattered interfrontal setulae are present. Vibrissae are absent, but strong bristles occur near the vibrissal angle. The mesonotum is flat and the prothorax is separated from the propleuron by a membrane. The legs bear strong bristles and soft, dense hairs and the tibiae have subapical bristles. The wing is unmarked. The costa is entire, without interruptions. The subcosta is complete, crossvein BM-Cu is present, and the anal cell (cell cup) is closed. Legs usually densely hairy.

Biology

Coelopids are found in the

wrack zone The wrack zone or wrack line is a coastal feature where organic material (e.g. kelp, seagrass, shells) and other debris is deposited at high tide. This zone acts as a natural input of marine resources into a terrestrial system, providing food and ...

of temperate seashores where the larvae feed on rotting seaweed. They are sometimes very abundant in this habitat. They go through several generations a year. The females lay their eggs in small batches into fresh alga banks. Three larval instars occur. Larvae feed in a

bacteria Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among ...

-laden mass. Pupation is seldom in the algal substrate that soon collapses, but more frequently in the highest sand layers. Larvae are also found in winter wrack heaps as bacteria raise temperatures to 20-30 °C even if the heap is superficially frozen. Larvae and pupae have numerous predators, including birds and the

staphylinid The rove beetles are a family (Staphylinidae) of beetles, primarily distinguished by their short elytra (wing covers) that typically leave more than half of their abdominal segments exposed. With roughly 63,000 species in thousands of genera, the ...

''Aleochara'' and suites of parasites confined to algal banks.

Classification

, following Mathis and McAlpine's taxonomy, Coelopidae consists of two subfamilies: Coelopinae, with three tribes, twelve genera, and twenty-eight species, and Lopinae, consisting of just one

monospecific In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

genus. *Subfamily Coelopinae Hendel, 1910 **Tribe Coelopini Hendel, 1910 ***Genus ''

Coelopa ''Coelopa'' is a genus of kelp flies in the family Coelopidae. There are about 14 described species in ''Coelopa''. Species These 12 species belong to the genus ''Coelopa'': *Subgenus '' Coelopa'' Meigen, 1830 *:'' C. pilipes'' Haliday, 1838 ...

'' Meigen, 1830 ****Subgenus ''

'' Meigen, 1830 ****Subgenus '' Fucomyia'' Haliday, 1837 ****Subgenus '' Neocoelopa'' Malloch, 1933 **Tribe

Coelopellini ''Coelopellini'' is a tribe of kelp flies in the family Coelopidae. Genera * '' Amma'' McAlpine, 1991 * ''Beaopterus'' Lamb, 1909 * ''Coelopella'' Malloch, 1933 * ''Icaridion'' Lamb, 1909Halteres absent and the wings are reduced to strips. New ...

McAlpine, 1991 ***Genus '' Amma'' McAlpine, 1991 ***Genus ''

Beaopterus ''Beaopterus'' is a genus of kelp fly in the family 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 ...

'' Lamb, 1909 ***Genus ''

Coelopella ''Coelopella'' is a genus of kelp flies in the family 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 seash ...

'' Malloch, 1933 ***Genus ''

Icaridion ''Icaridion'' is a genus of kelp fly in the family 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 ...

'' Lamb, 1909 Halteres absent and the wings are reduced to strips. New Zealand. ***Genus '' Rhis'' McAlpine, 1991 ***Genus ''

This This may refer to: * ''This'', the singular proximal demonstrative pronoun Places * This, or ''Thinis'', an ancient city in Upper Egypt * This, Ardennes, a commune in France People with the surname * Hervé This, French culinary chemist Arts, e ...

'' McAlpine, 1991 **Tribe Glumini McAlpine, 1991 ***Genus '' Chaetocoelopa'' Malloch, 1933 ***Genus '' Coelopina'' Malloch, 1933 ***Genus '' Dasycoelopa'' Malloch, 1933 ***Genus '' Gluma'' McAlpine, 1991 ***Genus '' Malacomyia'' Haliday in Westwood, 1840 (sometimes placed in Dryomyzidae) *Subfamily Lopinae McAlpine, 1991 **Genus ''

Lopa Lohjan Pallo (abbreviated LoPa) is a football club from Lohja, Finland. The club was formed in 1966 and their home ground is at the Harjun urheilukenttä. The men's first team currently plays in the Kakkonen (Second Division). The chairman is R ...

'' McAlpine, 1991

Other

Coelopa frigida ''Coelopa frigida'' is a species of seaweed fly or kelp fly. It is the most widely distributed species of seaweed fly. It can be found on most shorelines in the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Other species of seaweed flies include ''Coelopa nebul ...

'' (Fabricius) has been reared in the laboratory and used for genetic studies.

References

External links

Tree of Life Coelopidae

Family Coelopidae at EOL

Diptera.info
Images
BugGuide
images

Image of pupa

Identification

* Hennig. 1937. Coelopidae.In: Lindner, E. (Ed.). ''Die Fliegen der Paläarktischen Region'' 5, 52, 1-38.Keys to Palaearctic species but now needs revision (in German). *Malloch, J.R. 1933. The genus ''Coelopa'' Meigen (Diptera, Coelopidae). ''Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist.'' (10) 11: 339-50. *McAlpine, David K. (1991). "Review of the Australian Kelp Flies (Diptera: Coelopidae)" (Print). Systematic Entomology 16: 29-84. * Séguy, E. (1934) ''Diptères: Brachycères''. II. ''Muscidae acalypterae, Scatophagidae''. Paris: Éditions Faune de France 28
virtuelle numérique
*Shtakel'berg, A.A. Family Coelopidae in Bei-Bienko, G. Ya, 1988 ''Keys to the insects of the European Part of the USSR'' Volume 5 (Diptera) Part 2 English edition.Keys to Palaearctic species but now needs revision .

Species lists

West Palaearctic and Russia Japan
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1778576 Brachycera families