Lonchopteridae

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
Infraordo: Muscomorpha
Sectio: Aschiza
Superfamilia: Phoroidea

Familia:Lonchopteridae
Genera: Lonchoptera – ?Spilolonchoptera
Name

Lonchopteridae Macquart, 1835
References

Dong, Q.-B. & Yang, D., 2013: Two new species of Spilolonchoptera (Diptera: Lonchopteridae) from China. Entomotaxonomia, 35 (1): 68–72.

Vernacular names
English: Spear-winged flies
suomi: Otakärpäset
中文: 枪蝇科

The 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. Many are parthenogenic; males are very rare, however, at least in North American species, and have a somewhat different venation than do the females.[1][2]
wing venation (male)

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]

Description

For terms see Morphology of Diptera.
The Lonchopteridae are minute, slender flies with long wings which are pointed at the apex. The head is rounded, with the outer vertical bristles, inner vertical bristles, ocellar bristles, interfrontal bristles, and bristles along the margin of the broad mouth very well developed. The mesonotum and scutellum and legs have well developed bristles. The radial vein R has three branches (R1, R2+3, R4+5). The median vein M is furcate (M1, M2). The anal vein A merges with the cubital vein Cu (female) or terminates freely (male).
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 a.

Four[3] living genera are in this family, encompassing some 50 described species all together:[4]

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

Two fossil genera of spear-winged flies have been described:[4]

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

Species

West Palaearctic including Russia
Australasian/Oceanian
Nearctic
Japan
World list

References

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