Nerioidea is a superfamily of Acalyptratae flies.

Description

As flies, Nerioidea undergo complete metamorphosis with the four life stages of egg, larva, pupa and adult. The adult stage has three body segments (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of legs and one pair of wings. Some features that distinguish adult Nerioidea from other flies are: a face that's usually weakly sclerotised (except in Fergusoninidae), antenna usually porrect or slightly deflexed (elbowed in

Tanypezidae The Tanypezidae, known as the “stretched-foot flies”, are small family of acalyptrate Diptera (Schizophora, Brachycera). The 28 species are found mostly in the New World, divided between two genera: ''Tanypeza'' (2 species) is found in North ...

), wing veins R2+3 and R4+5 usually convergent, and the wing anal cell usually much smaller than the subcostal cell.

Ecology

Most Nerioidea are associated with dead and decaying organic matter such as dead wood, rotting fruit and bat dung. On the other hand, Fergusoninidae form galls in plants of family Myrtaceae, and some Micropezidae have larvae that are predatory or agricultural pests.

Notable species

* '' Glyphidops flavifrons -'' can be found in the Nearctic and Neotropical regions

References

Diptera superfamilies {{Nerioidea-stub