Ephydridae

Taxobox
name = Ephydridae


image_width = 240px
image_caption = "Notiphila watanabei"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
subphylum = Hexapoda
classis = Insecta
subclassis = Pterygota
infraclassis = Neoptera
superordo = Endopterygota|
ordo = Diptera
subordo = Brachycera
zoosectio = Schizophora
zoosubsectio = Acalyptratae
superfamilia = Ephydroidea
familia = Ephydridae
subdivision_ranks = Subfamilies and tribes
subdivision =
Ephydrinae
* Tribe Dagini
* tribe Ephydrini
* tribe Scatellini
Hydrelliinae
* tribe Hydrelliini
* tribe Ilytheini
* tribe Notiphilini
* tribe Typopsilopini
Parydrinae
* tribe Gastropsini
* tribe Hyadinini
* tribe Ochtherini
* tribe Parydrini
* tribe Philygriini
Psilopinae
* tribe Atissini
* tribe Discocerinini
* tribe Discomyzini
* tribe Gymnopini
* tribe Psilopini

Ephydridae (shore fly, sometimes brine fly) is a family of insects in the order Diptera.

Shore flies are tiny flies that can be found near seashores or at smaller inland waters, such as ponds. About 1,500 species have been described worldwide.

Description

See [http://delta-intkey.com/britin/dip/www/ephydrid.htm Family description and images]

Larvae

In the subfamily Notiphilinae the head is reduced to a cephalic skeleton, there are no anterior spiracles and the posterior spiracles are extended as spines. The other subfamilies have larvae similar to the Sciomyzidae, with the posterior spiracles at the apices of divergent branches from a common base. They may be differentiated by short thoracic segments (like the abdominal ones) and by the absence of a ventral arch linking the mouth hooks.

Identification

*Andersson, H. (1971), The European species of "Limnellia" (Dipt., Ephydridae). "Entomologica Scandinavica" 2: 53-59.Key to European species.
*Becker, T. (1926), Ephydridae. 56a. In: Lindner, E. (Ed.). "Die Fliegen der palaearktischen Region" 6: 1-115. Keys to Palaearctic species but now needs revision (in German).
*Canzoneri, S. & Meneghini, D. (1983), Ephydridae e Canaceidae. "Fauna d’Italia" XX.Revision of the Italian species for these two families (in Italian).
*Mathis, W.N. & Zatwarnicki, T. (1990), A revision of the western Palaearctic species of Athyroglossa (Diptera: Ephydridae). "Transactions of the American Entomological Society" 116: 103-133. Revision of the West Palaearctic species of the genus.
*Zatwarnicki, T. (1997), Ephydridae. In: Nilsson, A. (Ed.) "Aquatic Insects of North Europe" ("A Taxonomic Handbook"). Apollo Books, Stenstrup, Denmark. Includes a key (in English) to the genera.

Habitats

Ephydridae occupy a diverse array of seashore and wetland habitats including hot springs, petroleum pools, salt pools, alkaline lakes, marshes. As larvae, many are phytophagous, grazing on aquatic plants (including cultivated rice), others are algal grazers. Some species are an important food source for other animals. Others cause damage to agricultural crops. Larvae of some Ephydridae live in very unusual habitats. For example, "Ephydra brucei" lives in hot springs and geysers where the water temperature exceeds 45 degrees Celsius; "Helaeomyia petrolei" develops in pools of crude oil; and "Ephydra cinera", the brine fly proper, in pools with very high concentrations of salt. Some have public health significance being associated with sewage filter beds and septic tanks.

pecies lists

* [http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=10913 Western Palaearctic]
* [http://www.nearctica.com/nomina/diptera/dipc-e.htm#anchor1320097 Nearctic]
* [http://konchudb.agr.agr.kyushu-u.ac.jp/mokuroku/ Japan]

External links

# [http://www.diptera.info/photogallery.php?album_id=18 Diptera.info Image Gallery]