House Flies and Allies
family of suborder “Brachyceran Flies“
1 family, 4 species
The summary provides information about the identifying characteristics and biology of the Muscidae family. The antennae have three segments and the calypters are well developed, while the larvae develop in decaying plant material or manure. The Muscidae family includes species that can act as passive vectors for diseases like typhoid fever, dysentery, anthrax, and African sleeping sickness. Some Atherigona species’ larvae are pests in cereal cultivation. The fossil record indicates that the Muscidae family originated in the Permian era. The summary also includes information about the types and further reading resources for identification.
Hierarchy
species of family “House Flies and Allies“
1 species
species of family “House Flies and Allies“
1 species
Identifying characteristics#
The antennae are three-segmented and aristate; vein Rs is two-branched, a frontal suture is present, and the calypters are well developed. The arista is often plumose for the entire length. The hypopleuron is usually without bristles; generally, more than one sternopleural bristle is present. The R5 cell is either parallel-sided or narrowed distally. Vein 2A is short and does not reach the wing margin. The Fanniidae, which used to be a subfamily (Fanniinae) of the Muscidae, share these characters, but may be separated from them by the absence of the identifying characteristics for the family Fanniidae.
Biology#
Larvae mainly develop in decaying plant material or manure.
Health and economic importance#
Adults of many species are passive vectors of pathogens for diseases such as typhoid fever, dysentery, anthrax, and African sleeping sickness. Larvae of some Atherigona species are important pests in cultivation of cereals, like rice and maize.
Evolution#
Seven species in six described genera have been recorded from the fossil record. Lambrecht (1980: 369) estimated that the family Muscidae originated as long ago as the Permian, although no fossil record exists for the family any older than the Eocene.
Genera#
List of genera according to the Catalogue of Life:
Types#
Types in the Natural History Museum of Berlin
Further reading#
Identification Hennig, W. (1955–64). Muscidae in Erwin Lindner, Die Fliegen der Paläarktischen Region 63b,Schweizerbart,Stuttgart. Huckett, H.C. 1965. The Muscidae of northern Canada, Alaska and Greenland (Diptera). Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Canada 42: 1–369. 23 plates of drawings. Séguy, E., 1937, Diptera, family Muscidae. In: P. Wystmann (ed.), Genera Insectorum, Brussels, 205: 604. Includes a key to world genera. Shinonaga, S. & Kano, R., 1971, Fauna Japonica Muscidae (Insecta:Diptera), Academia press,242pp.+28Plates. Keys to Eastern Palaearctic genera of several subfamilies. Gregor, Fr. et al., 2002 The Muscidae (Diptera) of Central Europe, Brno, Folia Biologia, 107. Biology Use of DNA in forensic entomology Skidmore, P., 1985, The biology of the Muscidae of the world. Junk, Dordrecht. Series entomologica, 29, xiv + 550p.
Links to Genera and species lists#
Palaearctic Nearctic Japan
External links#
Family description and images Image Gallery from Diptera.info (in Dutch)Muscidae Pictorial atlas explaining technical terms
The summary provides information about the identifying characteristics and biology of the Muscidae family. The antennae have three segments and the calypters are well developed, while the larvae develop in decaying plant material or manure. The Muscidae family includes species that can act as passive vectors for diseases like typhoid fever, dysentery, anthrax, and African sleeping sickness. Some Atherigona species’ larvae are pests in cereal cultivation. The fossil record indicates that the Muscidae family originated in the Permian era. The summary also includes information about the types and further reading resources for identification.
Ancestry Graph
Further Information
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