Sciomyzidae
Template:Short description Template:Automatic taxobox
The family Sciomyzidae belongs to the typical flies (Brachycera) of the order Diptera. They are commonly called marsh flies, and in some cases snail-killing flies due to the food of their larvae.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Here, the Huttoninidae, Phaeomyiidae and Tetanoceridae are provisionally included in the Sciomyzidae. Particularly the latter seem to be an unequivocal part of this group and are ranked as tribe of subfamily Sciomyzinae by most modern authors, while the former two are very small lineages that may or may not stand outside the family and are provisionally ranked as subfamilies here. Whether the Salticellinae and the group around Sepedon warrant recognition as additional subfamilies or are better included in the Sciomyzinae proper is likewise not yet entirely clear. Altogether, the main point of contention is the relationship between the "Huttoninidae", "Phaeomyiidae", Sciomyzidae sensu stricto, and the Helosciomyzidae which were also once included in the Sciomyzidae.
Sciomyzidae are found in all the biogeographic realms but are poorly represented in the Australasian and Oceanian realms.
DescriptionEdit
Template:For Sciomyzidae are small or medium-sized (2–14 mm), usually slender flies with predominantly dull grey, brown, reddish or yellow body, rarely black-lustrous. Wings hyaline, often with dark spots or dark reticulate pattern. The head is semispherical or round. The antennae are usually elongate and the arista is pubescent or has shorter or longer hairs. Ocelli and ocellar bristles are present (absent in Sepedon). The postvertical bristles are divergent or parallel. There are one or two pairs of frontal bristles which curve backward (the lower pair sometimes curving inward) Interfrontal bristles are absent but interfrontal setulae are sometimes present. Vibrissae are absent. The wing is clear or with conspicuous markings. The costa is continuous and the subcosta is complete. Crossvein BM-Cu is present and the anal cell (cell cup) is closed. Tibiae almost always have a dorsal preapical bristle.
BiologyEdit
Marsh flies are common along the edges of ponds and rivers, and in marshy areas. The adults drink dew and nectar. The larvae prey on or become parasites of gastropods (slugs and snails). The occasional sciomyzid attacks snail eggs or fingernail clams.<ref name="Foote99">Template:Cite journal</ref> Very little is known about the complete life cycle of these flies but most of the known larvae are semi-aquatic and some are aquatic. Other species have terrestrial larvae. Larvae mainly prey on non-operculate snails. Some species which prey on bivalves have larvae adapted to breathing under water. In some terrestrial species the penultimate larval instar emerges from the snail or slug it developed in. The last instar is then predatory on several snails.
The adults rest on vegetation head down. According to the larval habitat, they are found near water, in marshy vegetation, in woodland or occasionally dry open habitats.
IdentificationEdit
- Stackelberg, A.A. Family Sciomyzidae in Bei-Bienko, G. Ya, 1988 Keys to the insects of the European Part of the USSR Volume 5 (Diptera) Part 2 English edition. Keys to Palaearctic species but now needs revision.
- Séguy, E. (1934) Diptères: Brachycères. II. Muscidae acalypterae, Scatophagidae. Paris: Éditions Faune de France 28. virtuelle numérique
Selected generaEdit
Template:Div col Subfamily Sciomyzinae (possibly polyphyletic)
- Tribe Sciomyzini
- Apteromicra Template:Small<ref name="Papp2004">Template:Cite journal</ref>
- Atrichomelina Template:Small<ref name="Cresson1920">Template:Cite journal</ref>
- Calliscia Template:Small<ref name="SteyskalKnutson1975">Template:Cite journal</ref>
- Colobaea Template:Small
- Ditaeniella Template:Small<ref name="Sack1939">Template:Cite journal</ref>
- Neuzina Template:Small<ref name="MarinoniZumbadoKnutson2004">Template:Cite journal</ref>
- Oidematops Template:Small<ref name="Cresson1920"/>
- Parectinocera Template:Small<ref name="Becker1919">Template:Cite book</ref>
- Pherbellia Template:Small
- Pseudomelina Template:Small<ref name="Malloch1933">Template:Cite journal</ref>
- Psacadina Template:Small<ref name="Enderlein1939">Template:Cite journal</ref>
- Pteromicra Template:Small
- Sciomyza Template:Small
- Tetanura Template:Small
- Tribe Tetanocerini
- Anticheta Template:Small
- Chasmacryptum Template:Small<ref name="KnutsonVala2011">Template:Cite book</ref>
- Coremacera Template:Small
- Dichetophora Template:Small
- Dictya Template:Small
- Dictyacium Template:Small
- Dictyodes Template:Small<ref name="KnutsonVala2011"/><ref name="Malloch1933"/>
- Ectinocera Template:Small
- Elgiva Template:Small
- Ethiolimnia Template:Small<ref name="Verbeke1950">Template:Cite journal</ref>
- Eulimnia Template:Small<ref name="KnutsonVala2011"/><ref name="TonnoirMalloch1928">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Barnes1980">Template:Cite journal</ref>
- Euthycera Template:Small
- Euthycerina Template:Small<ref name="KnutsonVala2011"/><ref name="Malloch1933"/>
- Eutrichomelina Template:Small<ref name="KnutsonVala2011"/><ref name="SteyskalKnutson1975"/>
- Guatemalia Template:Small<ref name="KnutsonVala2011"/>
- Hedria Template:Small<ref name="Steyskal1954">Template:Cite journal</ref>
- Hoplodictya Template:Small<ref name="Cresson1920"/>
- Hydromya Template:Small
- Ilione Template:Small
- Limnia Template:Small
- "Neodictya" Template:Small<ref>Neodictya Elberg, 1965</ref>
- Neolimnia Template:Small<ref name="KnutsonVala2011"/><ref name="TonnoirMalloch1928"/>
- Oligolimnia Template:Small<ref name="KnutsonVala2011"/><ref name="Mayer1953">Template:Cite journal</ref>
- Perilimnia Template:Small<ref name="KnutsonVala2011"/>
- Pherbecta Template:Small
- Pherbina Template:Small
- Poecilographa Template:Small
- Protodictya Template:Small<ref name="KnutsonVala2011"/><ref name="Malloch1933"/>
- Psacadina Template:Small<ref name="Enderlein1939"/>
- Renocera Template:Small<ref name="Hendel1900">Template:Cite journal</ref>
- Sepedomerus Template:Small<ref name="Steyskal1973">Template:Cite journal</ref>
- Sepedon Template:Small
- Sepedonea Template:Small<ref name="Steyskal1973"/>
- Sepedonella Template:Small<ref name="Verbeke1950"/>
- Sepedoninus Template:Small<ref name="Verbeke1950"/>
- Shannonia Template:Small<ref name="KnutsonVala2011"/><ref name="Malloch1933"/>
- Steyskalina Template:Small<ref name="GhorpadeMarinoniKnutson1999">Template:Cite journal</ref>
- Tetanocera Template:Small
- Tetanoceroides Template:Small<ref name="KnutsonVala2011"/><ref name="Malloch1933"/>
- Tetanoptera Template:Small<ref name="Verbeke1950"/>
- Teutoniomyia Template:Small<ref name="Hennig1952">Template:Cite journal</ref>
- Thecomyia Template:Small<ref name="Perty1833">Template:Cite book</ref>
- Trypetolimnia Template:Small
- Trypetoptera Template:Small<ref name="Hendel1900"/>
- Verbekaria Template:Small<ref name="Knutson1968">Template:Cite journal</ref>
- Subfamily Huttonininae (tentatively placed here)
- Huttonina Template:Small<ref name="TonnoirMalloch1928"/><ref name="Barnes1980"/>
- Prosochaeta Template:Small
- Subfamily Phaeomyiinae (tentatively placed here)
- Subfamily Salticellinae (sometimes included in Sciomyzinae)
ReferencesEdit
Further readingEdit
- Rozkošný, R., 1984 The Sciomyzidae (Diptera) of Fennoscandia and Denmark. Fauna Entomologica Scandinavica, 14 Template:ISBN Hardback (224 pp., 639 figures, in English)
- Lloyd Vernon Knutson and Jean-Claude Vala, 2011Biology of Snail-Killing Sciomyzidae Flies Cambridge University Press Template:ISBN
External linksEdit
- Family Sciomyzidae at EOL
- Delta: Family description and images
- The Marsh Flies of California
- Marsh fly (Tetanocera sp) diagnostic photographs, male and female specimens, in copulo
- Images of Sciomyzidae from Diptera.info
- Images of Sciomyzidae from Bug Guide
- West Palaearctic including Russia (species list)
- Australasian/Oceanian (species list)
- Nearctic (species list)
- Japan (species list)
- World list (species list)
Template:Diptera Template:Taxonbar Template:Authority control