The Sepsidae are a

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

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 ...

, commonly called the black scavenger flies or ensign flies. Over 300 species are described worldwide. They are usually found around dung or decaying plant and animal material. Many species resemble ants, having a "waist" and glossy black body. Many Sepsidae have a curious wing-waving habit made more apparent by dark patches at the wing end. Many species have a very wide distribution, reflecting the

coprophagous Coprophagia ( ) or coprophagy ( ) is the consumption of feces. The word is derived from the Ancient Greek "feces" and "to eat". Coprophagy refers to many kinds of feces-eating, including eating feces of other species (heterospecifics), of o ...

habit of most Sepsidae. Some species have been spread over large territories in association with livestock. Adult flies are found mostly on mammal

excrement Feces (also known as faeces American and British English spelling differences#ae and oe, or fæces; : faex) are the solid or semi-solid remains of food that was not digested in the small intestine, and has been broken down by bacteria in the ...

, including that of humans (less often on other rotting organic matter), where eggs are laid and

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e develop, and on nearby vegetation, carrion, fermenting tree sap, and shrubs and herbs. Many Sepsidae apparently play an important biological role as decomposers of mammal and other animal excrement. Some species may have a limited hygienic importance because of their association with human feces. Others are useful tools in

forensic entomology Forensic entomology is a branch of applied entomology that uses insects and other arthropods as a basis for legal evidence. Insects may be found on cadavers or elsewhere around crime scenes in the interest of forensic science. Forensic entom ...

Description

For terms, see

Morphology of Diptera Dipteran morphology differs in some significant ways from the broader insect morphology, morphology of insects. The Diptera is a very large and diverse Order (biology), order of mostly small to medium-sized insects. They have prominent compound ey ...

.
Sepsids are slender flies that resemble minute, winged ants. They are usually black in color, sometimes lustrous, and sometimes with silvery hairs on the thorax. The head is rounded. Sepsids have one or more bristles at the posteroventral margin of the posterior spiracle of the thorax, a character that distinguishes the family from other acalyptrates. The postvertical bristles are divergent or sometimes absent. Up to three pairs of frontal bristles are seen. They have ocelli with ocellar bristles. Vibrissae and palpi are poorly developed. The front legs of the male often have extrusions, spurs, teeth, or other ornamentation. The tibia has a dorsal preapical bristle in most genera. The abdomen is usually constricted in the basal part. The larva is slender, tapering at the front end, and smooth except for ventral creeping welts. The larva is amphipneustic: it has two pairs of spiracles, one toward the head and one at the tail. The bulbous posterior end with its pair of spiracles distinguishes it from the larvae of other acalyptrates. The

pupa A pupa (; : pupae) is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their life cycle, the stages th ...

is enclosed within a puparium.

Classification

Genera include: *'' Adriapontia'' Ozerov, 1996 *'' Afromeroplius'' Ozerov, 1996 *'' Afronemopoda'' Ozerov, 2004 *'' Afrosepsis'' Ozerov, 1996 *'' Archisepsis'' Silva, 1993 *'' Australosepsis'' Malloch, 1925 *'' Brachythoracosepsis'' Ozerov, 1996 *'' Decachaetophora''

Duda The Hungary, Hungarian duda (also known as ''tömlősíp'' and ''bőrduda'') is the traditional bagpipe of Hungary. It is an example of a group of bagpipes called Medio-Carparthian bagpipes. Accounts are conflicting regarding the exact form of ...

, 1926 *'' Diploosmeteriosepsis'' Ozerov, 1996 *'' Dicranosepsis''

, 1926 *'' Dudamira'' Ozerov, 1996 *'' Idiosepsis'' Ozerov, 1990 *'' Lasionemopoda''

, 1926 *'' Lasiosepsis''

, 1926 *'' Lateosepsis'' Ozerov, 2004 *'' Leptomerosepsis''

, 1926 *'' Meropliosepsis''

, 1926 *'' Meroplius'' Rondani, 1874 *'' Microsepsis'' Silva, 1993 *'' Mucha'' Ozerov, 1992 *'' Nemopoda'' Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 *'' Ortalischema'' Frey, 1925 *'' Orygma'' Meigen, 1830 *'' Palaeosepsioides'' Ozerov, 1992 *'' Palaeosepsis''

, 1926 *'' Parapalaeosepsis''

, 1926 *'' Paratoxopoda''

, 1926 *'' Perochaeta''

, 1926 * †'' Protorygma'' Hennig, 1965 *'' Pseudonemopoda''

, 1926 *'' Pseudopalaeosepsis'' Ozerov, 1992 *'' Saltella'' Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 *''

Sepsis Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. This initial stage of sepsis is followed by suppression of the immune system. Common signs and s ...

'' Fallén, 1810 *'' Susanomira'' Pont, 1987 *'' Themira'' Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 *'' Toxopoda'' Macquart, 1851 *'' Xenosepsis'' Malloch, 1925 *'' Zuskamira'' Pont, 1987

References

Volume 37. 198 pages. *A.L. Ozerov ''Sepsid Flies (Diptera, Sepsidae) of Russia's Fauna''. Studies on the fauna; Archives of the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University: Zool. Mus. Moscow. Univ. Publ.Language: Russian, title, contents and a summary in English. 184 pages.A very well illustrated guide to all 57 species from 11 genera of Sepsidae flies occurring in Russia, with keys to adults and pre-imaginal stages, and accounts concerning anatomy, phylogeny and distribution. *Silva, V. C. . Revision of the family Sepsidae of the Neotropical region. ii. The genus ''Meropliosepsis'' Duda, 1926 (Diptera, Schizophora). Revista Brasileira de Entomologia, v. 36, n. 3, p. 549-552, 1992. *K. G. V. Smith, 1989 An introduction to the immature stages of British Flies. Diptera Larvae, with notes on eggs, puparia and pupae.'' Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects'' Vol 10 Part 14
pdf
download manual (two parts Main text and figures index) * Lives in ocky Mountainsof Colorado, in the United States.

Species lists

West Palaearctic including RussiaJapan

External links

Family Sepsidae at EOLImages of Sepsidae on Diptera.info
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1685942 Brachycera families Articles containing video clips

Description

Classification

See also

References

Further reading

Identification

Species lists

External links