Micropezidae

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
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: Schizophora
Subsectio: Acalyptrata
Superfamilia: Nerioidea

Familia: Micropezidae
Subfamiliae: Calobatinae - Calycopteryginae - Eurybatinae - Micropezinae - Taeniapterinae
Overview of genera (48)

Anaeropsis – Aristobatina – Badisis – Calobatella – Calobatina – Calosphen – Calycopteryx – Cardiacephala – Cephalosphen – Chaetotylus – Cliobata – Cnodacophora – Compsobata – Cothornobata – Crepidochetus – Cryogonus – Erythromyiella – Eurybata – Globopeza – Glyphodera – Grallipeza – Grammicomyia – Hemichaeta – Hoplocheiloma – Mesoconius – Metasphen – Metopochetus – Micropeza – Mimegralla – Mimomyrmecia – Neria – Nestima – Notenthes – Papeza – Paramimegralla – Parasphen – Plocoscelus – Poecilotylus – Pseudeurybata – Ptilosphen – Rainieria – Scipopus – Steyskalia – Stiltissima – Taeniaptera – Tenthes – Trepidarioides – Zelatractodes
Name

Micropezidae Blanchard, 1840
Vernacular names
Deutsch: Micropeziden
English: Stilt-legged Flies
français: Micropézidés
中文: 瘦足蝇科
References

Blanchard, C.É. 1840. Histoire naturelle des insectes : Orthoptères, Névroptères, Hémiptères, Hyménoptères, Lépidoptères et Diptères, 672 pp. P. Duménil (Paris). BHL Reference page.

Additional references

Marshall, S.A. 2017. Micropezidae (Insecta, Diptera, Acalyptratae) of Madagascar and a revision of the genus Paramimegralla Hennig. Zootaxa 4290(2): 244–280. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4290.2.2. Reference page.
Marshall, S., Cardona, A. & Wolff, M. 2016. FAMILY MICROPEZIDAE. In Wolff, M.I., Nihei, S.S. & Carvalho, C.J.B. de (eds.), Catalogue of Diptera of Colombia. Zootaxa 4122(1): 538–548. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4122.1.40. Reference page.
Merritt R.W., 1972. Geographic distribution of Micropezidae in the western United States (Diptera). Northwest Sci. 46: 40-43.

Links

Zicha, Ondřej et al. Micropezidae – Taxon details on Biological Library (BioLib).
Micropezidae – Taxon details on BugGuide.
Micropezidae – Taxon details on Fauna Europaea.

The Micropezidae are a moderate-sized family of acalyptrate muscoid flies in the insect order Diptera, comprising about 500 species in about 50 genera and five subfamilies worldwide, (except New Zealand and Macquarie Island).[1] They are most diverse in tropical and subtropical habitats, especially in the Neotropical Region.

Insects in this family are commonly called stilt-legged flies, after their characteristically long legs. The fore legs are markedly smaller than the other pairs. Mostly, they are long-bodied, often black flies, usually with infuscated (darkened) wings. Wings are reduced in the genera Calycopteryx and entirely absent in the ant-like Badisis ambulans.[1]

Description

For terms see Morphology of Diptera
Very slender, small to large (3–16 mm) flies, they have long, thin legs and narrow wings. The head is small and elongated or rounded. The antennae are small and the arista is bare or pubescent. Ocelli are present, but ocellar bristles are absent. Vibrissae are absent and the postvertical bristles are divergent or absent. Up to three pairs of frontal bristles curve forward or backward. Interfrontal bristles are absent. The wings are clear or have a smoky pattern. The costa is without interruptions. The subcosta is complete, its ending in the costa close to vein R1. The posterior basal wing cell and discoidal wing cell are sometimes fused. Crossvein BM-Cu present or (Micropezinae) absent. The abdomen is long and narrow. The tibiae lack a dorsal preapical bristle.
Biology

Some species, much the same as in the strongylophthalmyiid genus, Strongylophthalmyia, mimic ants; others mimic wasps and are especially similar in appearance to some ichneumonid wasps. Species of the genus Anaeropsis have stalked eyes.

Little is known of the larval habits, but they are probably phytophagous or saprophagous in decayed vegetation, old manure, or fungi . Larvae of certain Mimegralla species have been found to live in the roots of ginger and other plants, under the bark of dead trees, or in other decaying material. Species of Micropeza have phytophagous larvae feeding in the root nodules of leguminous plants in open habitats. Species of Rainieria develop in rotting wood and are found in old forests. Adults are either predatory on small insects (for example Calobata in Britain[1]) or are attracted to excrement or decaying fruit. Adults are found on low herbage, flowers, leaves, rotting fruit, and excrement.

Many species (for example those of genus Mimegralla) are known for their habit of standing motionless while waving their prominently marked front legs in front of their heads, a behavior which contributes to their mimicry of wasps. At least one species of Metopochetus (M. curvus) was observed to wave its hind legs instead, though these are not conspicuously colored.[1]
Identification

Czerny. 1930. Tylidae. In: Lindner, E. (Ed.). Die Fliegen der Paläarktischen Region 5, 42a, 13–16. Keys to Palaearctic species but now needs revision (in German).
Séguy, E. (1934) Diptères: Brachycères. II. Muscidae acalypterae, Scatophagidae. Paris: Éditions Faune de France 28. virtuelle numérique
Shtakel'berg, A.A. Family Micropezidae (Tylidae in part) in Bei-Bienko, G. Ya, 1988 Keys to the insects of the European Part of the USSR Volume 5 (Diptera) Part 2 English edition. Keys to Palaearctic species but now needs revision.

Conservation

Calycopteryx mosleyi, found on the Kerguelen Islands and Heard Island, is associated with the Kerguélen cabbage (Pringlea antiscorbutica, Brassicaceae). As this plant is being destroyed by introduced rabbits, the fly is considered vulnerable.[1]

The larvae of Badisis ambulans live in the pitchers of the endangered Albany pitcher plant (Cephalotus follicularis, Cephalotaceae).[1]
Fossil record

Several fossil species have been found in Baltic amber, probably from the Late Eocene (about 36 million years old). However, most were washed onto beaches after wearing from Tertiary strata, making their age uncertain. Two fossil genera are presently recognized, Cypselosomatites Hennig, 1965 and the advanced Electrobata Hennig, 1965 which may be more than one genus however.
Genera

This list is compiled from the BioSystematic Database of World Diptera and probably complete as of January 2007.

Anaeropsis Bigot, 1866[2]
Badisis McAlpine, 1990
Calobata Meigen, 1803
Calobatella Mik, 1898
Calobatina Enderlein, 1922[3]
Calosphen Hennig, 1934
Calycopteryx Eaton, 1875
Cardiacephala Macquart, 1843
Cephalosphen Hennig, 1934
Chaetotylus Hendel, 1932
Cliobata Enderlein, 1923
Cnodacophora Czerny, 1930
Compsobata Czerny, 1930
Cothornobata Czerny, 1932
Courtoisia Barraclough, 1993
Crepidochetus Enderlein, 1922[3]
Crosa Steyskal, 1952
Cryogonus Cresson, 1926
Ectemnodera Enderlein, 1922[3]
Electrobata Hennig, 1965
Erythromyiella Hennig, 1935
Eurybata Osten Sacken, 1882
Globomyia Hennig, 1935
Globopeza Marshall, 2005
Glyphodera Enderlein, 1922[3]
Grallipeza Róndani, 1850
Grammicomyia Bigot, 1859
Hemichaeta Hennig, 1934
Hoplocheiloma Cresson, 1926
Mesoconius Enderlein, 1922[3]
Metasphen Frey, 1927
Metopochetus Enderlein, 1922[3]
Micropeza Meigen, 1803
Mimegralla Róndani, 1850
Mimomyrmecia Frey, 1927
Neograllomyia Hendel, 1933
Neria Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830[4]
Nestima Osten Sacken, 1881
Notenthes Marshall, 2002
Papeza McAlpine, 1975
Paramimegralla Hennig, 1937
Parasphen Enderlein, 1922[3]
Plocoscelus Enderlein, 1922[3]
Poecilotylus Hennig, 1934
Pseudeurybata Hennig, 1934
Ptilosphen Enderlein, 1922[3]
Rainieria Róndani, 1843
Scipopus Enderlein, 1922[3]
Steyskalia Aczel, 1959
Stiltissima Barraclough, 1991
Taeniaptera Macquart, 1835
Tenthes Cresson, 1930
Trepidarioides Frey, 1927
Zelatractodes Enderlein, 1922[3]

References

McAlpine, D.K. (1998). Review of the Australian stilt flies (Diptera: Micropezidae) with a phylogenetic analysis of the family. Invertebrate Taxonomy 12:55–134. doi:10.1071/IT96018 (with key to Australian species)
Bigot, J.M.F. (1866). "Nouveau genre et nouvelle espèce de diptères (Anaeropsis lorquini)". Annales de la Société Entomologique de France. 6 (4): 201–202. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
Enderlein, Günther (1922). "Klassifikation der Micropeziden". Archiv für Naturgeschichte. Abteilung A. 88 (4): 140–229. Retrieved 29 January 2021.

Robineau-Desvoidy, André Jean Baptiste (1830). "Essai sur les myodaires". Mémoires presentés a l'Institut des Sciences, Lettres et Arts, par divers savants èt lus dans ses assemblées : Sciences, Mathématiques et Physique. 2 (2): 1–813. Retrieved 15 July 2018.

Further reading

This article includes a list of general references, but it remains largely unverified because it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (April 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Andersson, H., 1989 Taxonomic notes on the Fennoscandian Micropezidae.Notulae Entomologicae, 69:153–162.
Brown, B. V., A. Borkent, J.M. Cumming, D.M. Wood, N.E. Woodley, and M. Zumbado. 2010. Manual of Central American Diptera, Volume 2. NRC Research Press.
Hennig, W. 1934. Revision der Tyliden (Dipt., Acalypt.). I. Teil: die Taeniapterinae Amerikas [part]. Stett. Entomol. Ztg. 95: 65–108, 294–330. [Publication split: . 65–108 ; . 294–330 . Concludes in Hennig, 1935b.]
Hennig, W. 1935a. Revision der Tyliden (Dipt., Acalypt.). II. Teil: die ausseramerikanischen Taeniapterinae, die Trepidariinae und Tylinae. Allgemeines über die Tyliden. Zugleich ein Beitrag zu den Ergebnissen der Sunda-expedition Rensch, 1927 [part]. Konowia 14: 68–92.
Hennig, W. 1935b. Revision der Tyliden (Dipt., Acalypt.). I. Teil: die Taeniapterinae Amerikas [concl.]. Stett. Entomol. Ztg. 96: 27–67.
Hennig, W. 1935c. Revision der Tyliden (Dipt., Acalypt.). II. Teil: die ausseramerikanischen Taeniapterinae, die Trepidariinae und Tylinae. Allgemeines über die Tyliden. Zugleich ein Beitrag zu den Ergebnissen der Sunda-expedition Rensch, 1927 [part]. Konowia 14: 192–216, 289–310. [Publication split: . 192–216 ; 289–310. Concludes in Hennig, 1936.]
Hennig, W. 1936. Revision der Tyliden (Dipt., Acalypt.). II. Teil: die ausseramerikanischen Taeniapterinae, die Trepidariinae und Tylinae. Allgemeines über die Tyliden. Zugleich ein Beitrag zu den Ergebnissen der Sunda-expedition Rensch, 1927 [concl.]. Konowia 15: 129–44, 201–39. [Publication split: . 129–44 ; . 201–39. ]
McAlpine, D.K., 1975. The subfamily classification of the Micropezidae and the genera of Eurybatinae (Diptera: Schizophora). Journal of Entomology (B) 43: 231–245.
Steyskal, G.C. 1952b. Australasian stilt-legged flies (Diptera: Tylidae) in the United States National Museum. Proc. U.S. Natl. Mus. 102 [= No. 3294): 161–80. (26 February)
Steyskal, G.C. 1964. Larvae of Micropezidae (Diptera), including two species that bore in ginger roots. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 57: 292–96. (15 May)
Steyskal, G.C. 1977a. Family Micropezidae (Tylidae), . 12–20. In: Delfinado, M.D. & D.E. Hardy, eds., A catalog of the Diptera of the Oriental Region. Volume III. Suborder Cyclorrhapha (excluding Division Aschiza). University Press of Hawaii, Honolulu. x + 854 p.
Verbeke, J. 1951. Taenapterinae (Diptera:Cyclorrhapha) Fam. Micropezidae. Explor. Parc. natn. Albert Miss. G.F. de Witte 72:1–106.