British Insects: the Families of Diptera
British Insects: the Families of Diptera |
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Aulacogastridae.
Adult insects. Very small (about 2.5 mm long); winged. Antennae 3 segmented (third segment short, rounded); ‘modified’. Antennae aristate; the bristle dorsal (pubescent). The second antennal segment not grooved. Ptilinal suture clearly defined. Ocellar bristles absent. Post-vertical orbital bristles absent. Mouthparts functional. The maxillary palps 1 segmented; porrect. Vibrissae present (two strong pairs). Thorax without a continuous dorsal suture; without well defined posterior calli. Wings without a discal cell; with a closed anal cell. The anal cell short. The costa with one break (at the apex of the sub-costa). Sub-costa apparent; reaching the costa independently of vein 1. Wings with the lower calypter much reduced or absent. Tibiae with a dorsal pre-apical bristle to without a dorsal pre-apical bristle (the bristle indistinct). Hind tibiae without strong bristles in the basal 4/5.
Larvae and pupae. Larvae terrestrial; saprophagous (on decomposing material around tree wounds); acephalic. Pupa enclosed within a puparium.
Comments. A shining brown fly, with a large mouth.
Classification. Suborder Brachycera; Division Muscomorpha Schizophora Acalyptratae; Superfamily Opomyzoidea.
British representation: Genera 1; 1 species.
Illustrations: • Aulacigaster.
To view the illustrations with detailed captions, go to the interactive key. This also offers full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting or lacking specified attributes, and distributions of character states within any set of taxa.
Cite this publication as: ‘Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2003 onwards. British insects: the families of Diptera. Version: 9th June 2008. http://delta-intkey.com’.
