| Stilt-legged flies | |
|---|---|
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| Neria sp. from Portugal | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Section: | Schizophora |
| Subsection: | Acalyptratae |
| Superfamily: | Nerioidea |
| Family: | Micropezidae Loew, 1861 |
| Type genus | |
| Micropeza Meigen, 1803 | |
| Subfamilies | |
| Diversity | |
| 54 genera, 5 subfamilies | |
TheMicropezidae are a moderate-sized family ofacalyptrate muscoid flies in the insect orderDiptera, comprising about 500 species in about 50 genera and five subfamilies worldwide, (exceptNew Zealand andMacquarie Island).[1] They are most diverse in tropical and subtropical habitats, especially in theNeotropical Region.
Insects in this family are commonly calledstilt-legged flies, after their characteristically long legs. The fore legs are markedly smaller than the other pairs. Mostly, they are long-bodied, often black flies, usually with infuscated (darkened) wings. Wings are reduced in the generaCalycopteryx and entirely absent in the ant-likeBadisis ambulans.[1]
For terms seeMorphology of Diptera
Very slender, small to large (3–16 mm) flies, they have long, thin legs and narrow wings. The head is small and elongated or rounded. The antennae are small and the arista is bare or pubescent. Ocelli are present, but ocellar bristles are absent. Vibrissae are absent and the postvertical bristles are divergent or absent. Up to three pairs of frontal bristles curve forward or backward. Interfrontal bristles are absent. The wings are clear or have a smoky pattern. The costa is without interruptions. The subcosta is complete, its ending in the costa close to vein R1. The posterior basal wing cell and discoidal wing cell are sometimes fused. Crossvein BM-Cu present or (Micropezinae) absent. The abdomen is long and narrow. The tibiae lack a dorsal preapical bristle.
Some species, much the same as in the strongylophthalmyiid genus,Strongylophthalmyia,mimic ants; others mimicwasps and are especially similar in appearance to someichneumonid wasps. Species of the genusAnaeropsis have stalked eyes.
Little is known of the larval habits, but they are probablyphytophagous orsaprophagous in decayed vegetation, old manure, or fungi. Larvae of certainMimegralla species have been found to live in the roots ofginger and other plants, under the bark of dead trees, or in other decaying material. Species ofMicropeza have phytophagous larvae feeding in the root nodules of leguminous plants in open habitats. Species ofRainieria develop in rotting wood and are found in old forests. Adults are eitherpredatory on small insects (for exampleCalobata in Britain[1]) or are attracted toexcrement or decaying fruit. Adults are found on low herbage, flowers, leaves, rotting fruit, and excrement.
Many species (for example those of genusMimegralla) are known for their habit of standing motionless while waving their prominently marked front legs in front of their heads, a behavior which contributes to their mimicry of wasps. At least one species ofMetopochetus (M. curvus) was observed to wave its hind legs instead, though these are not conspicuously colored.[1]
Calycopteryx mosleyi, found on theKerguelen Islands andHeard Island, is associated with the Kerguélen cabbage (Pringlea antiscorbutica,Brassicaceae). As this plant is being destroyed by introducedrabbits, the fly is considered vulnerable.[1]
The larvae ofBadisis ambulans live in the pitchers of the endangered Albany pitcher plant (Cephalotus follicularis,Cephalotaceae).[1]
Several fossil species have been found inBaltic amber, probably from theLate Eocene (about 36 million years old). However, most were washed onto beaches after wearing fromTertiary strata, making their age uncertain.Two fossil genera are presently recognized,CypselosomatitesHennig, 1965 and the advancedElectrobataHennig, 1965 which may be more than one genus however.
This list is compiled from theBioSystematic Database of World Diptera and probably complete as of January 2007.
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