Dolichopodidae (Family)

Overview

Dolichopodidae, the long-legged flies, make up a large family of true flies with more than 7,000 described species in about 230 genera distributed worldwide. The genus Dolichopus is the most speciose, with some 600 species. They are generally small flies with large, prominent eyes and a metallic cast to their appearance, though considerable variation is observed. Most have long legs, though some do not. The males often have enlarged genitalia which can be useful for species recognition. The adults are predatory on other small animals.

This family includes the subfamily , formerly placed in Empididae, and briefly considered a separate family.^1]

Ecology and behaviour

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Foraging and nuptial behaviour of Poecilobothrus nobilitatus (video, 2m 58s)

Dolichopodidae give visual (as distinct from chemical or other) signals during courtship; many studies have been undertaken of this behavior.^[2] The larvae occupy a wide range of habitats, both terrestrial and aquatic, and can be predators or scavengers.

Evolution and systematics

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Dolichopodids are well represented in amber deposits throughout the world and the group has clearly been well distributed since the Cretaceous at the latest. Together with the Empididae they are the most advanced members of the Empidoidea. They represent the bulk of Empidoidea diversity, containing more than two-thirds of the known species in their superfamily.

Internal relationships of the Dolichopodidae and their delimitation versus the Empididae are not yet resolved to satisfaction. It is likely that the co nsiderable number of subfamilies is subject to change.^[3]

Footnotes

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^ Sinclair and Cumming (2006)
^ E.g. Zimmer et al. (2003), Irwin (2007), Vikhrev (2007)
^ Sinclair and Cumming (2006), Moulton and Wiegmann (2007)

>Dolichopodidae, the long-legged flies, make up a large family of true flies with more than 7,000 described species in about 230 genera distributed worldwide. The genus Dolichopus is the most speciose, with some 600 species. They are generally small flies with large, prominent eyes and a metallic cast to their appearance, though considerable variation is observed. Most have long legs, though some do not. The males often have enlarged genitalia which can be useful for species recognition. The adults are predatory on other small animals.

This family includes the subfamily , formerly placed in Empididae, and briefly considered a separate family.^1]

Ecology and behaviour

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Foraging and nuptial behaviour of Poecilobothrus nobilitatus (video, 2m 58s)

Evolution and systematics

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Internal relationships of the Dolichopo didae and their delimitation versus the Empididae are not yet resolved to satisfaction. It is likely that the considerable number of subfamilies is subject to change.^[3]

Footnotes

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^ Sinclair and Cumming (2006)
^ E.g. Zimmer et al. (2003), Irwin (2007), Vikhrev (2007)
^ Sinclair and Cumming (2006), Moulton and Wiegmann (2007)

References

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Moulton, J.K. and Wiegmann, B.M. (2007): The phylogenetic relationships of flies in the superfamily Empidoidea (Insecta: Diptera). Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 43(3): 701?713. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2007.02.029 PMID 17468014 (HTML abstract)
Irwin, Tony (2007): Neurigona courtship. Version of 2007-JUN-18. Retrieved 2008-JUL-30.

Zootaxa

1180

PDF fulltext

Vikhrev, Nikita (2007): Observations on Medetera jacula (Fall?n, 1823). Version of 2007-JAN-22. Retrieved 2008-JUL-30.
Zimmer, Martin; Diestelhorst, Olaf and Lunau, Klaus (2003): Courtship in long-legged flies (Diptera: Dolichopodidae): function and evolution of signals. Behavioral Ecology 14(4): 526?530. PDF fulltext

External links

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Bug Guide images
Diptera.info images
Igor Grichanov Dolichopodidae home page
Family description
Family description
University of Lille Multi-imaged site. Whole specimens and parts.
Palaearctic species list
Nearctic species list
Australasian and Oceanian species list
Japan species list
Video of sciapodine of Texas

Taxonomy

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The Family Dolichopodidae is a member of the Superfamily Empidoidea. Here is the complete "parentage" of Dolichopodidae:

Domain: Eukaryota Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Animalia C. Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
  - Subkingdom: Bilateria (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians
    - Branch: Protostomia Grobben, 1908 - protostomes
      - Infrakingdom: Ecdysozoa A.M.A. Aguinaldo et al., 1997 ex T. Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - ecdysozoans
        Superphylum: Panarthropoda Cuvier
        Phylum: Arthropoda Latreille, 1829 - Arthropods
        Subphylum: Mandibulata Snodgrass, 1938
        Infraphylum: Atelocerata Heymons, 1901
        Superclass: Panhexapoda
        Class: Insecta C. Linnaeus, 1758 - Insects
        Subclass: Dicondylia
        Infraclass: Pterygota - Winged Insects
        Superorder: Panorpida
        Order: Diptera (DIP-ter-uh) C. Linnaeus, 1758
        Suborder: Brachycera (brak-EYE-sair-uh)
        Infraorder: Asilomorpha
        Superfamily: Empidoidea
        Family: Dolichopodidae Latreille, 1809 - Longlegged Flies

The Family Dolichopodidae is further organized into finer groupings including:

Subfamily (2): Dolichopodinae · Sciapodinae
Genus (330): Abatetia · Abbemyia · Achalcus · Achradocera · Acropsilus · Acymatopus · Adachia · Agonosoma · Ahercostomus · Ahypophyllus · Aldabromyia · Alishania · Alloeoneurus · Allohercostomus · Amblypsilopus · Amphithalassius · Anahydrophorus · Anasyntormon · Anchineura · Anepsiomyia · Anepsius · Anglearia · Anomalopyga · Antyx · Aphalacrosoma · Aphantotimus · Aphrosylopsis · Aphrosylus · Apterachalcus · Aptorthus · Arachnomyia · Archichrysotus · Arciellia · Argentinia · Argyra · Argyrochlamys · Asphyrotarsus · Asyndetus · Atlatlia · Australachalcus · Austrosciapus · Babindella · Bathycranium · Bickelia · Bickelomyia · Brevimyia · Cachonopus · Calyxochaetus · Campsicnemoides · Campsicnemus · Cemocarus · Ceratopos · Chaetogonopteron · Cheiromyia · Chimerothalassius · Chrysosoma · Chrysotimus · Chrysotus · Clinocampsicnemis · Coelinium · Coeloglutus · Colobocerus · Conchopus · Condylostylus · Coracocephalus · Corindia · Craterophorus · Cryptophlebs · Cryptophleps · Cryptopygiella · Cymatopus · Cyrtosymbolia · Cyrturella · Dactylomyia · Dactylonotus · Diaphorinae · Diaphorus · Diostracus · Discopygiella · Dolichophorus · Dolichopodidae · Dolichopodinae · Dolichopus · Dominicomyia · Drepanomyia · Dytomyia · Electrophorella · Elmoia · Elongomedetera · Emperoptera · Enlinia · Eothalassius · Epithalassius · Erebomyia · Ethiosciapus · Eucoryphus · Eurynogaster · Eutarsus · Euxiphocerus · Falbouria · Fedtshenkomyia · Filatopus · Gigantosciapus · Gnamptopsilopus · Gongrophora · Gonioneurum · Griphophanes · Grootaertia · Guzeriplia · Gymnoceromyia · Gymnopternus · Hadromerella · Hadroscelus · Halaiba · Haltericerus · Halteriphorus · Haplopharyngomyia · Harmstonia · Helichochaetus · Helixocerus · Hercostomus · Heteropsilopus · Hopliognusus · Humongochela · Hydatostega · Hydrophorinae · Hydrophorus · Hygroceleuthus · Hypocharassus · Hypophyllus · Hyptiocheta · Ionthadophrys · Ischiochaetus · Kalocheta · Keirosoma · Kophosoma · Kowmungia · Krakatauia · Lamprochromus · Lapita · Laxina · Leptopus · Leptorhethum · Leucostola · Liancalomina · Liancalus · Lichtwardtia · Linacalus · Liparomyia · Ludovicius · Lyroneurus · Machaerium · Macrodactylomyia · Maipomyia · Major · Margaritostylus · Mascaromyia · Mastigomyia · Medetera · Medeterinae · Medeterus · Megistostylus · Melanderia · Melanostolus · Meringopherusa · Mesorhaga · Metaparaclius · Microchrysotus · Microcyrtura · Microcyrtuta · Micromedetera · Micromorphus · Microphor · Micropygus · Mischopyga · Muscidideicus · Nanomyina · Nanothinophilus · Narrabeenia · Naticornus · Naufraga · Negrobovia · Nematocera · Nematoproctus · Nematopus · Neomedetera · Neoparentia · Neorhaphium · Neotonnoiria · Nepalomyia · Nesorhaga · Neurigona · Neurigonella · Neurogona · Ngirhaphium · Nothorhaphium · Nothosympycnus · Notobothrus · Nurteria · Oedematopus · Olegonegrobovia · Oligochaetus · Oncopygius · Orthoceratium · Orthochile · Ortochile · Ostenia · Ounyana · Pachypyga · Palaeoargyra · Palaeomedeterus · Papallacta · Paracleius · Paraclius · Paracoeloglutus · Parahercostomus · Paraliancalus · Paraliptus · Paralleloneurum · Paramedetera · Paraphrosylus · Parasyntormon · Parathinophilus · Parentia · Pelastoneurus · Peliopus · Peloropeodes · Peodes · Phacaspis · Phalacrosoma · Pharcoura · Phasmaphleps · Phrudoneura · Phylarchus · Physopyga · Pilbara · Pinacocerus · Plagioneurus · Plagiozopelma · Platyopsis · Plesiothalassius · Poecilobothrus · Polymedon · Porphyrops · Proarchus · Pseudargyra · Pseudoacropsilus · Pseudohercostomus · Pseudoparentia · Pseudosympycnus · Pseudoxanthochlorus · Psilischium · Psilopdinus · Psilopiella · Psilopodinus · Psilopodius · Psilopus · Pycsymnus · Rhagoneurus · Rhaphium · Rhinchoschizus · Rhynchoschizus · Saccopheronta · Sarcionus · Saucropus · Scelloides · Scellus · Scepastopyga · Schistostoma · Schizorhynchus · Schoenophilus · Sciapodinae · Sciapus · Sciopolina · Sciopus · Scorpiurus · Scotiomyia · Septocellula · Setihercostomus · Sigmatineurum · Sinosciapus · Somillus · Spathichira · Spathiospilopus · Sphyrotarsus · Steleopyga · Stenopygium · Stolidosoma · Submedeterus · Subsympycnus · Suschania · Sweziella · Sybistroma · Symbolia · Sympycnidelphus · Sympycnites · Sympycnus · Synarthrus · Synarthus · Syntomoneurum · Syntormon · Syntormoneura · Syntormoneurum · Systenoides · Systenus · Tachytrechus · Telmaturgus · Teneriffa · Tenuopus · Terpsimyia · Tetrachaetus · Tetrechus · Teuchophorus · Thalassophorus · Thambemyia · Thinolestris · Thinophilus · Thrypticus · Trigonocera · Urodolichus · Uropachys · Vaalimyia · Vanduzeeia · Vetimicrotes · Viridigona · Xanthina · Xanthochlorus · Xiphandrium · Xyphandrium · Yumbera
Species: ZipcodeZoo has pages for 8,999 species and subspecies in the Family Dolichopodidae.

Dolichopodidae

Overview

Ecology and behaviour

Evolution and systematics

See also

Footnotes

Ecology and behaviour

Evolution and systematics

See also

Footnotes

References

External links

Taxonomy

Genera

Abatetia

Abbemyia

Achalcus

Achradocera

Acropsilus

Acymatopus

Adachia

Agonosoma

Ahercostomus

Ahypophyllus

Aldabromyia

Alishania

Alloeoneurus

Allohercostomus

Amblypsilopus

Amphithalassius

Anahydrophorus

Anasyntormon

Anchineura

Anepsiomyia

Anepsius

Anglearia

Anomalopyga

Antyx

Aphalacrosoma

Aphantotimus

Aphrosylopsis

Aphrosylus

Apterachalcus

Aptorthus

Arachnomyia

Archichrysotus

Arciellia

Argentinia

Argyra

Argyrochlamys

Asphyrotarsus

Asyndetus

Atlatlia

Australachalcus

Austrosciapus

Babindella

Bathycranium

Bickelia

Bickelomyia

Brevimyia

Cachonopus

Calyxochaetus

Campsicnemoides

Campsicnemus

Cemocarus

Ceratopos

Chaetogonopteron

Cheiromyia

Chimerothalassius

Chrysosoma

Chrysotimus

Chrysotus

Clinocampsicnemis

Coelinium

Coeloglutus

Colobocerus

Conchopus

Condylostylus

Coracocephalus

Corindia