Brachycera

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Endopterygota
Superordo: Panorpida
Cladus: Antliophora
Ordo: Diptera
Subordo: Brachycera
Infraordines (6): Asilomorpha - Muscomorpha - Stratiomyomorpha - Tabanomorpha - Vermileonomorpha - Xylophagomorpha

Familiae incertae sedis: †Archisargidae - †Chimeromyiidae - †Kovalevisargidae - †Origoasilidae
Genera incertae sedis: †Acanthomyites – †Adipterites – †Anthracida – †Arthropiella – †Burmitempis – †Dipterites – †Electrotachina – †Eoasilidea – †Eomyza – †Epidia – †Homoeoptychopteris – †Liassonympha – †Lithexorista – †Lithohypoderma – †Lithotachina – †Muscidites – †Myanmyia – †Pachyuronympha – †Remalia – †Syrphopsis – †Vinculomusca
Overview of familiae

Acroceridae – Apioceridae – Apsilocephalidae – Apystomyiidae – Asilidae – Atelestidae – Athericidae – Austroleptidae – Bolbomyiidae – Bombyliidae – Brachystomatidae – Dolichopodidae – Empididae – Evocoidae – Hilarimorphidae – Hybotidae – Mydidae – Mythicomyiidae – Nemestrinidae – Pantophthalmidae – Pelecorhynchidae – Rhagionidae – Scenopinidae – Stratiomyidae – Syrphidae – Tabanidae – Therevidae – Vermileonidae – Xylomyidae – Xylophagidae – †Eremochaetidae
...

Infraordines: Asilomorpha - Muscomorpha - Stratiomyomorpha - Tabanomorpha - Vermileonomorpha -

Name

Brachycera Schiner, 1862
References

Grimaldi, D.A., Arillo, A., Cumming, J.M. & Hauser, M. 2011. Brachyceran Diptera (Insecta) in Cretaceous ambers, part IV, significant new orthorrhaphous taxa. ZooKeys 148: 293–332. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.148.1809 Open access Reference page.
Nagatomi, A.; Yang, D. 1998: A review of extinct Mesozoic genera and families of Brachycera (Diptera). Entomologists' monthly magazine, 134: 95–192. [not seen]

Vernacular names
Boarisch: Fliang
беларуская: Караткавусыя
dansk: Flue
Deutsch: Fliegen
español: Mosca
suomi: Kärpänen
Nordfriisk: Fleegen
français: Brachycère (ou "Mouche" au sens restreint)
magyar: Légyalkatúak
日本語: ハエ亜目 (短角亜目)
Līvõ kēļ: Kärmizt
македонски: Краткоусни
Nederlands: Vlieg
norsk nynorsk: Fluge
norsk: Flue
polski: Muchówki krótkoczułkie
português: Mosca
davvisámegiella: Čurrot
svenska: Fluga
中文: 短角亚目

The Brachycera are a suborder of the order Diptera.[1][2] It is a major suborder consisting of around 120 families.[3] Their most distinguishing characteristic is reduced antenna segmentation.

Description

A summary of the main physical characteristics is:

Antenna size (with eight or fewer flagellomeres) is reduced.
The maxillary palp (an elongated appendage near the mouth) has two segments or fewer.
The back portions of the larval head capsule extend into the prothorax (the anterior part of the thorax, which bears the first pair of legs).
Two distinct parts make up of the larval mandible (lower jaw).
The epandrium and hypandrium of the genitalia are separated in males.
No premandible is present on the lower surface of the labrum (the roof of the mouth).
The configuration of the CuA2 and A1 wing veins is distinct.

Brachyceran flies can also be distinguished through behavior. Many of the species are predators or scavengers.
Classification

The structure of subgroups within the Brachycera is a source of much confusion and controversy; many of the names used historically (e.g., Orthorrhapha) have not been used in decades, but still persist in textbooks, checklists, faunal catalogs, and other sources. Additionally, most recent classifications no longer use the Linnaean ranks for taxa (e.g., the Tree of Life Web Project), and this creates its own set of problems.
See also

Larger brachycera

External links

The Tree of Life Web Project: Brachycera
Brachycera images

References

"BRACHYCERA | 1 Definitions of Brachycera - YourDictionary". www.yourdictionary.com. Your Dictionary. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
"Suborder Brachycera - Flies (Order: Diptera) - Amateur Entomologists' Society (AES)". www.amentsoc.org. Amateur Entomologists Society. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
"ITIS Standard Report Page: Brachycera". www.itis.gov. Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 16 October 2020.