Lonchopteridae

Lonchopteridae
Spear-winged flies
Lonchoptera lutea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Section: Aschiza
Superfamily: Platypezoidea
Family: Lonchopteridae
Curtis, 1839
Diversity
4[verification needed] living genera
Synonyms
  • Lonchopteroidea
  • Musidoridae

Lonchopteridae (spear-winged flies or pointed-wing flies) are a family of small (2–5 mm), slender, yellow to brownish-black Diptera, occurring all over the world. Their common name refers to their pointed wings, which have a distinct venation. Most are bisexual; males are very rare however at least in North American species, and have a somewhat different venation than do the females.[1][2]

Spear-winged flies are common in moist, shady, grassy areas, where the larvae are found within decaying vegetation. One species, Lonchoptera bifurcata, is cosmopolitan in distribution, and may have been transported via shipments of vegetables.[1][2]

Systematics

They are usually placed in the superfamily of flat-footed flies and allies (Platypezoidea). If the Platypezoidea are restricted to the flat-footed flies sensu stricto, the spear-winged flies are united with the Ironomyiidae and the coffin and scuttle flies (Phoridae) as Phoroidea. More rarely, they are treated as monotypic superfamily Lonchopteroidea.

There are four[verification needed] living genera in this family, encompassing some 50 described species altogether:[3]

  • Homolonchoptera Yang, 1999
  • Lonchoptera Meigen, 1803
  • Neolonchoptera Vaillant, 1989
  • Spilolonchoptera Yang, 1998

Two fossil genera of spear-winged flies have been described:[3]

  • Lonchopterites Grimaldi & Cumming, 1999
  • Lonchopteromorpha Grimaldi & Cumming, 1999

References

  1. ^ a b Smith, K.G.V. (1969): Handbook for the Identification of British Insects 10(2ai: Diptera Lonchopteridae): 1–9.
  2. ^ a b Borror, D.J.; Triplehorn, C.A. & Johnson, N.A. (1989): An Introduction to the Study of Insects (6th edition). Saunders College Publishing.
  3. ^ a b Tree of Life Web Project (ToL) (2007): Lonchopteridae. Version of 2007-NOV-29. Retrieved 2009-APR-07.

External links


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