British Insects: the Families of Diptera
British Insects: the Families of Diptera |
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Sapromyzidae.
Non-parasitic.
Adult insects. Small. Antennae 3 segmented (third segment variable in shape); ‘modified’. Antennae aristate; the bristle dorsal (bare to plumose). The second antennal segment not grooved. Ptilinal suture clearly defined. Post-vertical orbital bristles present; convergent. 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 (this convex apically). The anal cell short. The costa unbroken. Sub-costa apparent; reaching the costa independently of vein 1. The leading edge veins not noticeably stronger than the rest. Wings without a ‘vena spuria’. Vein 6 present; falling short of the wing margin. Wings with the lower calypter much reduced or absent. Tibiae with a dorsal pre-apical bristle. Hind tibiae without strong bristles in the basal 4/5.
Larvae and pupae. Larvae terrestrial; mainly saprophagous; acephalic. Pupa enclosed within a puparium.
Comments. Small flies, light yellow through reddish brown to bluish- or greenish-black, with iridescent purplish or greenish eyes. Wing venation complete.
Classification. Suborder Brachycera; Division Muscomorpha Schizophora Acalyptratae; Superfamily Lauxanioidea.
British representation: Genera 12; 54 species.
Illustrations: • Calliopum aeneum and Trigonometopus frontalis (from Walker).
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’.
