www.kleine-wesen.org
www.kleine-wesen.org
The Anthomyiidae are a large and diverse family of Muscoidea flies. Most look rather like small houseflies. Most species are drab grey to black. Many Pegomya are yellow, and some members of the genera Anthomyia and Eutrichota are patterned in black-and-white or black-and-silvery-grey. Most are difficult to identify, apart from a few groups such as the kelp flies that are conspicuous on beaches. The name Anthomyiidae was derived from Greek anthos (flower) plus myia (a fly). Some species are commonly called “root-maggots”, as the larvae are found in the stems and roots of various plants. As larvae, some also feed on decaying plant material. The well-known grey “seaweed flies” or “kelp flies” (Fucellia) are examples. Others are scavengers in such places as birds’ nests; yet other species are leaf miners; the family also includes inquilines, commensals, and parasitic larvae. Some species in the family are significant agricultural pests, particularly some from the genus Delia, which includes the onion fly (D. antiqua), the wheat bulb fly (D. coarctata), the turnip root fly (D. floralis), the seedcorn maggot (D. platura), and the cabbage root fly (D. radicum). In some contexts, like mountain environments, the adults can be common flower visitors, also being involved in pollination.
This summary provides information on the characteristics and classification of flies in the Anthomyiidae family. These flies are generally small or moderate in size, with certain physical traits such as apical hypopleural bristles on the thorax and a straight median vein in the wings. There are several genera within this family, including Anthomyia, Botanophila, Hylemya, and Phorbia, among others. It is noted that females of many species within this family are currently unknown. References for further reading and external links for more information are also provided.
Die Blumenfliegen (Anthomyiidae) sind eine Familie der Zweiflügler (Diptera) und gehören zu den Fliegen (Brachycera). Weltweit sind etwa 2000 Arten in 53 Gattungen bekannt, davon etwa 220 in Mitteleuropa. Die Blumenfliegen sind nicht identisch mit den englischen flower flies, damit sind in der Regel die Schwebfliegen (Syrphidae) gemeint. Die kleinen bis mittelgroßen Fliegen sind oft kräftig beborstet und unscheinbar gefärbt, einige aber auffällig grau-schwarz gezeichnet oder mit gelben Beinen und gelbem Hinterleib.
Blumenfliegen ernähren sich hauptsächlich von Nektar und Pollen, können aber auch andere Flüssigkeiten wie Jauche, Schweiß oder Blut trinken. Die Eiablage erfolgt in der Regel an den Wirtspflanzen der Larven. Die Larven ernähren sich entweder von Pilzen, pflanzlicher Nahrung oder von Vorräten in den Nestern von Wespen und Bienen. Einige Arten sind auch Parasitoide, die in den Eigelegen von Heuschrecken und Larven anderer Insekten leben. In Europa gibt es 36 Gattungen von Blumenfliegen.