Muscidae are a family of

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 m ...

found in the superfamily

Muscoidea Muscoidea is a superfamily of flies in the subsection Calyptratae. Muscoidea, with approximately 7000 described species, is nearly 5% of the known species level diversity of the Diptera, the true flies. Most muscoid flies are saprophagous, coprop ...

. Muscidae, some of which are commonly known as house flies or stable flies due to their synanthropy, are worldwide in distribution and contain almost 4,000 described species in over 100 genera. Most species are not synanthropic. Adults can be predatory,

hematophagous Hematophagy (sometimes spelled haematophagy or hematophagia) is the practice by certain animals of feeding on blood (from the Greek words αἷμα ' "blood" and φαγεῖν ' "to eat"). Since blood is a fluid tissue rich in nutritious p ...

saprophagous Saprotrophic nutrition or lysotrophic nutrition is a process of chemoheterotrophic extracellular digestion involved in the processing of decayed (dead or waste) organic matter. It occurs in saprotrophs, and is most often associated with fungi ( ...

, or feed on a number of types of plant and animal exudates. They can be attracted to various substances including sugar, sweat, tear

and blood. Larvae occur in various habitats including decaying vegetation, dry and wet soil, nests of insects and birds, fresh water, and carrion. The Housefly, housefly, ''Musca domestica'', is the best known and most important species. Some, from the genera ''

Hydrotaea ''Hydrotaea'' is a genus of insects in the housefly family, Muscidae. They occur in most regions of the world but are more populous in warmer climates. They are often found on feces in summer months, and are therefore generally found in close pro ...

'' and ''

Muscina ''Muscina'' is a genus of flies that belongs to the family Muscidae, currently consisting of 27 species."ITIS Standard Report Page: Muscina." Integrated Taxonomic Information System. 20 Mar. 2009 They are worldwide in distribution and are freque ...

'', are involved in forensic case studies.aces the linkCluichí

Identifying characteristics

The antennae are three-segmented and aristate; vein Rs is two-branched, a

frontal Front may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''The Front'' (1943 film), a 1943 Soviet drama film * ''The Front'', 1976 film Music * The Front (band), an American rock band signed to Columbia Records and active in the 1980s and e ...

suture is present, and the

calypter A calypter is either of two posterior lobes of the posterior margin of the forewing of flies between the extreme posterior wing base and the alula, which covers the halteres. The lower calypter is the proximal calypter (synonyms: squama (of som ...

s are well developed. The arista is often plumose for the entire length. The hypopleuron is usually without bristles; generally, more than one sternopleural bristle is present. The R5 cell is either parallel-sided or narrowed distally. Vein 2A is short and does not reach the wing margin. The

Fanniidae The Fanniidae are a small (285 species in five genera) group of true flies largely confined to the Holarctic and temperate Neotropical realms; there are 11 Afrotropical species, 29 Oriental, and 14 Australasian. Adults are medium-sized to small ...

, which used to be a subfamily (Fanniinae) of the Muscidae, share these characters, but may be separated from them by the absence of the identifying characteristics for the family Fanniidae.

Biology

Larvae mainly develop in decaying plant material or manure.

Health and economic importance

Adults of many species are passive vectors of pathogens for diseases such as

typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several ...

dysentery Dysentery (UK pronunciation: , US: ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications ...

, anthrax, and

African sleeping sickness African trypanosomiasis, also known as African sleeping sickness or simply sleeping sickness, is an insect-borne parasitic infection of humans and other animals. It is caused by the species '' Trypanosoma brucei''. Humans are infected by two ty ...

. Larvae of some ''

Atherigona ''Atherigona'' is a genus of flies in the family Muscidae. Pests Larvae of some ''Atherigona'' species are important pests in cultivation of cereals, like rice and maize. Many are known as shoot flies. Some important species include: *'' Atheri ...

'' species are important pests in cultivation of cereals, like rice and maize.

Evolution

Seven species in six described genera have been recorded from the fossil record. Lambrecht (1980: 369) estimated that the family Muscidae originated as long ago as the

Permian The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years from the end of the Carboniferous Period million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.9 Mya. It is the last period of the Paleoz ...

, although no fossil record exists for the family any older than the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene' ...

Genera

List of genera according to the

Catalogue of Life The Catalogue of Life is an online database that provides an index of known species of animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms. It was created in 2001 as a partnership between the global Species 2000 and the American Integrated Taxonomic I ...

: * ''

Adia The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority ( ar, جهاز أبوظبي للاستثمار, ADIA) is a sovereign wealth fund owned by the Emirate of Abu Dhabi (in the United Arab Emirates) founded for the purpose of investing funds on behalf of the Gover ...

'' * '' Aethiopomyia'' * '' Afromydaea'' * '' Agenamyia'' * '' Albertinella'' * '' Alluaudinella'' * '' Altimyia'' * ''

Amicitia ''Amicitia'' is the Latin for friendship, either between individuals, between the state and an individual or between states. It was "a technical term of Roman political life" from the 2nd century BC, when, according to Seneca, it was introduced by ...

'' * '' Anaphalantus'' * '' Andersonosia'' * '' Anthocoenosia'' * '' Apsil'' * '' Arthurella'' * '' Atelia'' * ''

'' * '' Auria'' * '' Azelia'' * '' Balioglutum'' * '' Beccimyia'' * '' Biopyrellia'' * '' Bithoracochaeta'' * '' Brachygasterina'' * '' Brevicosta'' * '' Bruceomyia'' * '' Bryantina'' * '' Buccophaonia'' * '' Calliphoroides'' * '' Camptotarsopoda'' * '' Caricea'' * '' Cariocamyia'' * '' Cephalispa'' * '' Chaetagenia'' * '' Chaetopapuaia'' * '' Chaetophaonia'' * '' Charadrella'' * '' Chortinus'' * '' Coenosia'' * '' Cordilura'' * '' Cordiluroides'' * '' Correntosia'' * ''

Crucianella ''Crucianella'' (common name crossworts) is a genus of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Rubiaceae. The species are annual herbs found from the Mediterranean Basin, Mediterranean to Central Asia and the Arabian Peninsula. One spec ...

'' * '' Curranosia'' * '' Cypselodopteryx'' * '' Cyrtoneurina'' * '' Dasyphora'' * '' Deltotus'' * '' Dichaetomyia'' * '' Dimorphia'' * '' Dolichophaonia'' * '' Drepanocnemis'' * '' Drymeia'' * '' Eginia'' * '' Eginiella'' * '' Eudasyphora'' * '' Exsul'' * '' Fraserella'' * '' Graphomya'' * '' Gymnodia'' * '' Gymnopapuaia'' * ''

Haematobia ''Haematobia'' is a genus of biting true flies of the family Muscidae. Species *'' H. exigua'' Meijere, 1906 *'' H. irritans'' (Linnaeus, 1758) *'' H. minuta'' ( Bezzi, 1892) *'' H. potans'' ( Bezzi, 1907) *'' H. schillingsi'' ( Grünberg, 190 ...

'' * '' Haematobosca'' * '' Haematostoma'' * '' Haroldopsis'' * '' Hebecnema'' * '' Helina'' * '' Helinomydaea'' * '' Heliographa'' * '' Hemichlora'' * '' Hennigiola'' * '' Hennigmyia'' * '' Huckettomyia'' * ''

'' * '' Idiohelina'' * '' Insulamyia'' * '' Itatingamyia'' * '' Lasiopelta'' * '' Limnohelina'' * '' Limnophora'' * '' Limnospila'' * '' Lispacoenosia'' * '' Lispe'' * ''

Lispocephala ''Lispocephala'' is a very large genus of true flies of the family Muscidae. Description frons are broad in both sexes. There are two orbital setae and two frontal setae on each fronta-orbital plate. Biology The biology of the genus is, at pres ...

'' * '' Lispoides'' * '' Lophosceles'' * '' Macroeginia'' * '' Macrorchis'' * ''

Magma Magma () is the molten or semi-molten natural material from which all igneous rocks are formed. Magma is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and evidence of magmatism has also been discovered on other terrestrial planets and some natural sa ...

'' * '' Megophyra'' * '' Mesembrina'' * '' Metopomyia'' * '' Microcalyptra'' * '' Mitroplatia'' * '' Morellia'' * '' Mulfordia'' * ''

Musca Musca () is a small constellation in the deep southern sky. It was one of 12 constellations created by Petrus Plancius from the observations of Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman, and it first appeared on a celestial globe in ...

'' * ''

'' * '' Mydaea'' * '' Myiophaea'' * '' Myospila'' * '' Neivamyia'' * '' Neodexiopsis'' * '' Neohelina'' * '' Neolimnophora'' * '' Neomuscina'' * '' Neomyia'' * '' Neorypellia'' * '' Neurotrixa'' * '' Notoschoenomyza'' * '' Nystomyia'' * '' Ochromusca'' * '' Ocypodomyia'' * ''

Ophyra ''Hydrotaea'' is a genus of insects in the housefly family, Muscidae. They occur in most regions of the world but are more populous in warmer climates. They are often found on feces in summer months, and are therefore generally found in close prox ...

'' * '' Opsolasia'' * '' Orchisia'' * '' Oxytonocera'' * '' Pachyceramyia'' * '' Palpibracus'' * '' Papuaia'' * '' Papuaiella'' * '' Paracoenosia'' * '' Paralimnophora'' * '' Parastomoxys'' * '' Parvisquama'' * '' Passeromyia'' * '' Pectiniseta'' * '' Pentacricia'' * '' Phaomusca'' * ''

Phaonia ''Phaonia'' is a very large genus from the fly family Muscidae. It is distributed worldwide, with more than 750 species having been described. Species list *'' P. abditus'' ( Giglio-Tos, 1893) *'' P. aberrans'' Malloch, 1919 *'' P. acerba'' St ...

'' * '' Phaonidia'' * '' Phaonina'' * '' Philornis'' * '' Pictia'' * '' Pilispina'' * '' Plexiopsis'' * '' Plumispina'' * '' Polietes'' * '' Polietina'' * '' Potamia'' * '' Prohardyia'' * '' Prostomoxys'' * '' Pseudocoenosia'' * '' Pseudohelina'' * '' Pseudoptilolepis'' * '' Psilochaeta'' * '' Pygophora'' * '' Pyrellia'' * '' Pyrellina'' * ''

Reinwardtia ''Reinwardtia indica'', yellow flax or pyoli, is a species of Linaceae found in the Himalayas. It is the only species in the monotypic genus ''Reinwardtia''. Distribution This flower comes from Himalayas in both China and northern India. Uses ...

'' * '' Reynoldsia'' * '' Rhabdoptera'' * '' Rhinomusca'' * '' Rhynchomydaea'' * '' Rypellia'' * '' Sarcopromusca'' * '' Scenetes'' * '' Schoenomyza'' * '' Schoenomyzina'' * '' Scutellomusca'' * '' Sinophaonia'' * '' Souzalopesmyia'' * '' Spanochaeta'' * '' Spathipheromyia'' * '' Spilogona'' * '' Stomopogon'' * ''

Stomoxys ''Stomoxys'' is a genus of Fly, flies in the family (biology), family Muscidae. The genus is unusual among the Muscidae in that it includes species that are bloodsucking Parasitism, ectoparasites of mammals. The best-known species is ''stable fly ...

'' * '' Stygeromyia'' * '' Syllimnophora'' * '' Syngamoptera'' * '' Synthesiomyia'' * '' Tamilomyia'' * '' Tertiuseginia'' * '' Tetramerinx'' * '' Thaumasiochaeta'' * '' Thricops'' * '' Trichomorellia'' * '' Villeneuvia'' * '' Xenomorellia'' * '' Xenomyia'' * '' Xenotachina'' * '' Xestomyia''

Types

Types Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * Typ ...

in the Natural History Museum of Berlin

Images

File:Mydaeinae, Muscidae.jpg, Mydaeinae sp. Image:Musca.domestica.female.jpg, ''

Musca domestica The housefly (''Musca domestica'') is a fly of the suborder Cyclorrhapha. It is believed to have evolved in the Cenozoic Era, possibly in the Middle East, and has spread all over the world as a commensal of humans. It is the most common f ...

'' Image:Musca domestica.jpg, Stable fly, '' Stomoxys calcitrans'', Albuquerque Image:Muscidae.jpg, Muscidae sp. File:Limnophora sp.jpg, '' Limnophora sp.'' File:Graphomya eustolia crop.jpg, '' Graphomya eustolia''

Links to Genera and species lists

Palaearctic

Japan

References

External links

Image Gallery from Diptera.info
{{Taxonbar, from=Q527224 Brachycera families Taxa named by Pierre André Latreille