British Insects: the Families of Diptera
British Insects: the Families of Diptera |
|
Adult insects. Small. Antennae 2 segmented (or the basal segment concealed), or 3 segmented (very short); ‘modified’ (very short). Antennae aristate; the bristle dorsal. The second antennal segment not grooved. Ptilinal suture clearly defined. Eyes not meeting. Post-vertical orbital bristles present; convergent (crossed). Mouthparts functional. The maxillary palps 1 segmented; porrect. Vibrissae absent. Thorax without a continuous dorsal suture; without well defined posterior calli. Wings with a discal cell; without a sub-apical cell; with a closed anal cell. The anal cell short. The costa with one break (near the end of vein 1), or unbroken. Sub-costa apparent; reaching the costa independently of vein 1 (but faint). Wings without a ‘vena spuria’. Vein 6 present; reaching the wing margin (faint), or falling short of the wing margin. Wings with the lower calypter much reduced or absent. Tibiae without a dorsal pre-apical bristle. Hind tibiae without strong bristles in the basal 4/5.
Larvae and pupae. Larvae terrestrial; coprophagous (in guano); acephalic. Pupa enclosed within a puparium.
Comments. Small yellowish flies with very short antennae.
Classification. Suborder Brachycera; Division Muscomorpha Schizophora Acalyptratae; Superfamily Sphaeroceroidea.
British representation: Genera 3; 8 species.
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’.