Apiocera
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~150 species |
The Apioceridae, or flower-loving flies, are a small (approximately 150 species) family of flies, all in the single genus Apiocera. They occur mostly in dry sandy habitats in the deserts of North America, South America, and Australia.
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[edit] Biology
Apiocerids are found in sandy, arid and semiarid habitats. Hovering over bare patches of ground they can emit a loud hum. Despite the common name, most Apiocera never visit flowers, but rather are found running on the ground near sparse vegetation, or feeding on honeydew beneath aphid-infested plants. They are often seen drinking from damp sand with their sponge-like mouth-parts. The larvae of Apiocera maritima are found in sand near the high water mark of coastal beaches.
[edit] Literature
Identification
- Paramonov, S.J. 1953. A review of Australian Apioceridae (Diptera). Aust. J. Zool. 1: 449-536. Key
[edit] Classification
Other genera formerly placed in Apioceridae are now in Mydidae. See Yeates DK, Irwin ME. 1996. Apioceridae (Insecta: Diptera): Cladistics and biogeography. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 116: 247-301
[edit] External links
- Apioceridae from Brisbane
- www.mydidae.tdvia.de Website von Torsten Dikow (in English)
- Torsten Dikow: New insight on the phylogenetic relationships within Mydidae and its relationship to Apioceridae
- Robert A. Cannings: A review of the distribution and natural history of Apiocera barri and Nemomydas pantherinus
