''Heterocheila'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of
acalyptrate true 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 ...
(Diptera). They are placed in their own family, Heterocheilidae, in the
superfamily
SUPERFAMILY is a database and search platform of structural and functional annotation for all proteins and genomes. It classifies amino acid sequences into known structural domains, especially into SCOP superfamilies. Domains are functional, str ...
Sciomyzoidea. They are not widely familiar outside entomological circles, but the common name "half-bridge flies" has been associated with them.
[McAlpine, D. K. 1991. Relationships of the genus Heterocheila (Diptera: Sciomyzoidea) with description of a new family. Tijdschr. Ent. 134: 193-199. [1991.12.18]
online
/ref> They are medium-sized flies occurring mainly in temperate regions on seashores of the Northern Hemisphere, where they and their larvae typically feed on stranded kelp in the wrack zone. In this, they resemble Coelopidae, kelp flies, which are members of a different family, though the same superfamily.
The family Heterocheilidae was established by McAlpine in 1991.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 ...
, Dryomyzidae
The Dryomyzidae are a small family of flies ranging from 4–18 mm long, with prominent bristles, and yellow to brown or rust-yellow coloring. The wings are very large. The subcosta is complete and well separated from vein 1. Larvae feed on ...
and 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 ...
.
Description
For terms see Morphology of Diptera
The Heterocheilidae are medium to moderately large (body length 4.2-6.5 mm), fairly robust, brown flies
Their postverical bristles are long and often parallel. Three fronto-orbital bristles are seen. The acrostichal bristles are in a single row with a larger prescutellar pair; the metepisternum is bare. The prosternum is triangular, and extended laterally to the propleuron as a narrow, precoxal bridge. The costa is unbroken and the crossveins are unmarked. The midregion of costa lacks anteroventral spines. The apical section of vein M is nearly straight, terminating posterior of wing apex. Crossvein Bm-Cu is almost aligned with vein CuA2. Vein CuA2+A1 reaches the wing margin.
Species
Two species have been described:
* ''Heterocheila buccata'' Rondani, 1857 has a Palearctic distribution in North America and Eurasia.
* ''Heterocheila hannai'' (Cole, 1921) has been reported from the NE USA coast of Alaska, Oregon, and Washington.
The genus name ''Oedoparea'' Loew, 1862 is regarded as synonymous.[Loew, H. 1862. Diptera. Ueber die europäischen Helomyzidae und die in Schlesien vorkommenden Arten derselben. Z. Ent. (Breslau) (1859) 13: 1-80]
References
External links
Diptera.info
Images of ''Heterocheila buccata''
Sciomyzoidea genera
Taxa named by Camillo Rondani
{{Sciomyzoidea-stub