Kelp fly is one common name of species of flies in a number of

families Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...

of "true

flies Flies are insects of the Order (biology), order Diptera, the name being derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwin ...

" or

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 advance ...

. They generally feed on stranded and rotting

seaweed Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers to thousands of species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types of ''Rhodophyta'' (red), '' Phaeophyta'' (brown) and ''Chlorophyta'' (green) macroalgae. Seaweed species such as ...

, particularly

kelp Kelps are large brown algae or seaweeds that make up the order (biology), order Laminariales. There are about 30 different genus, genera. Despite its appearance and use of photosynthesis in chloroplasts, kelp is technically not a plant but a str ...

in the wrack zone. When conditions are suitable they are very numerous and may be ecologically important in the turnover of organic material on the coast.Griffiths C. L., Stenton-Dozey J. M. E., Koop K.,1983, Kelp wrack and energy flow through a sandy beach. Sandy beaches as ecosystems, A. McLachlan & T. Erasmus (eds.), W. Junk, The Hague,547–556 In this role they also may be an important item in the diet of beach-dwelling animals and birds. The flies most generally referred to as kelp flies are the widely distributed Coelopidae, such as ''

Coelopa pilipes ''Coelopa pilipes'' (common name kelp fly or seaweed fly) is a common European species of kelp fly. It was species description, described by Alexander Henry Haliday, A. H. Haliday in 1838. Their appearance differs greatly from that of other ''Co ...

''. In popular speech however, they are not clearly distinguished from other flies with similar feeding habits, such as the Heterocheilidae, the Helcomyzinae and sundry members of the

Anthomyiidae The Anthomyiidae are a large and diverse family (biology), family of Muscoidea fly, flies. Most look rather like small houseflies. Most species are drab grey to black. Many ''Pegomya'' are yellow, and some members of the genus, genera ''Ant ...

.McAlpine, J. F. et al (eds) Manual of Nearctic Diptera. Monographs No. 27 & No. 28 Biosystematics Research Institute, Ottawa. Ontario Research Branch. Pub: Agriculture Canada Vol 1 1981 & Vol 2 1987

References

Flies Insect common names {{Schizophora-stub