British Insects: the Families of Diptera
British Insects: the Families of Diptera |
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Dorilaidae, Dorylaidae.
Big-headed Flies.
Parasitic (parasitising Homoptera).
Adult insects. Antennae 3 segmented (the third segment variable in form); ‘modified’; terminal segment not annulated. Antennae aristate; the bristle dorsal (usually long). Ptilinal suture absent or weakly defined. Eyes meeting above the antennae (usually, in males), or not meeting (usually narrowly separated in females). Mouthparts very small. The maxillary palps 1 segmented; porrect. Wings with a discal cell (large); with a subapical cell; with a closed anal cell. The anal cell relatively long. Sub-costa apparent; reaching the costa independently of vein 1. The leading edge veins markedly stronger than the rest, or not noticeably stronger than the rest. Vein 3 not forked. Feet without a triple pad.
Larvae and pupae. Larvae terrestrial; parasitic; endoparasitic (of Homoptera); acephalic. Pupa enclosed within a puparium.
Comments. Hovering insects, with a very large head consisting almost entirely of the compound eyes. Females with a recurved, pointed ovipositor.
Classification. Suborder Brachycera; Division Muscomorpha Aschiza; Superfamily Syrphoidea.
British representation: Genera 11; 92 species.
Illustrations: • Chalarus and Pipunculus (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’.
