The Apioceridae, or flower-loving flies, are a small (about 150 species) family of
flies
Flies are insects of the Order (biology), order Diptera, the name being derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwin ...
, all in the single genus ''Apiocera''. They occur mostly in dry, sandy habitats in the deserts of
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
,
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...
, and
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. Other genera formerly placed in Apioceridae are now in
Mydidae.
Diversity and biogeography
The roughly 150 species of ''Apiocera'' are divided into four subgenera, each restricted to a different continent. ''
Apiocera'' is found in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, ''
Ripidosyrma'' in southern
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
, ''
Pyrocera'' in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
, and ''
Anypenus'' in
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...
.
Biology
''Apiocera'' species are found in sandy, arid and semiarid habitats. Despite the common name, most ''Apiocera'' species never visit flowers, but rather are found running on the ground near sparse vegetation, or feeding on
honeydew beneath
aphid
Aphids are small sap-sucking insects in the Taxonomic rank, family Aphididae. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white Eriosomatinae, woolly ...
-infested plants. They are often seen drinking from damp sand with their sponge-like
mouthparts. The
larva
A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...
e of ''
Apiocera maritima'' are found in sand near the high-water mark of coastal beaches.
Species
This section contains a list of 138 species:
*''
A. acuticauda''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. acutipalpis''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. afacialis''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. alastor''
( Walker, 1849)
*''
A. albanyana''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. aldrichi''
Painter, 1936
*''
A. aliena''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. alleni''
Cazier, 1941
*''
A. ammophila''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. angusta''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. antennata''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. arena''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. arnaudi''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. asilica''
Westwood, 1835
*''
A. asiloides''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. augur''
Osten Sacken, 1886
*''
A. aurelia''
Artigas, 1970
*''
A. auripilosa''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. australis''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. badipeniculata''
Yeates, 1994
*''
A. barri''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. basivillosa''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. beameri''
Painter, 1936
*''
A. bibula''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. bigelowi''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. bigotii''
( Macquart, 1847)
*''
A. bilineata''
Painter, 1932
*''
A. braunsi''
Melander, 1907
*''
A. brevicornis''
( Wiedemann, 1830)
*''
A. caboae''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. calida''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. caloris''
Painter, 1936
*''
A. campbelli''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. canuta''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. cerata''
Paramonov, 1961
*''
A. chiltonae''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. chrysolasia''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. clavator''
Painter, 1936
*''
A. commoni''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. constricta''
Cazier, 1985
*''
A. contrasta''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. convergens''
Painter, 1936
*''
A. davidsonorum''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. deforma''
Norris, 1936
*''
A. deserticola''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. draperae''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. elegans''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. englishae''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. excepta''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. exta''
Cazier, 1941
*''
A. fallax''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. fasciata''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. femoralis''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. ferruginea''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. fisheri''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. flabellata''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. foleyi''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. franckei''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. fullerae''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. goerlingi''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. hamata''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. hardyi''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. haruspex''
Osten Sacken, 1877
*''
A. helenae''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. hispida''
Cazier, 1941
*''
A. horticolis''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. immedia''
Hardy, 1940
*''
A. imminuta''
Hardy, 1940
*''
A. infinita''
Cazier, 1941
*''
A. interrupta''
Painter, 1936
*''
A. intonsa''
Cazier, 1941
*''
A. latifrons''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. latipennis''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. lavignei''
Cazier, 1985
*''
A. linsleyi''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. longicauda''
Paramonov, 1961
*''
A. longitudinalis''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. lugubris''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. mackerrasi''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. macswaini''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. maritima''
Hardy, 1933
*''
A. maxima''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. melanura''
Cazier, 1941
*''
A. mexicana''
Cazier, 1954
*''
A. minckleyi''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. minor''
Norris, 1936
*''
A. moderata''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. moerens''
Westwood, 1841
*''
A. monticola''
Artigas, 1970
*''
A. mortensoni''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. mulegeae''
Cazier, 1985
*''
A. newmani''
Norris, 1936
*''
A. nicholsoni''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. norrisi''
Hardy, 1940
*''
A. norrisiana''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. notata''
Painter, 1936
*''
A. oblonga''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. obscura''
(Philippi
Philippi (; , ''Phílippoi'') was a major Greek city northwest of the nearby island, Thasos. Its original name was Crenides (, ''Krēnĩdes'' "Fountains") after its establishment by Thasian colonists in 360/359 BC. The city was renamed by Phili ...
, 1865)
*''
A. ogradyi''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. omniflava''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. ordana''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. orientalis''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. ornata''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. painteri''
Cazier, 1963
*''
A. pallida''
Norris, 1936
*''
A. parahydra''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. parkeri''
Cazier, 1941
*''
A. pearcei''
Cazier, 1941
*''
A. philippii''
Brethes, 1924
*''
A. pica''
Norris, 1936
*''
A. picoides''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. pilosoris''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. powelli''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. pruinosa''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. pulcherrima''
Paramonov, 1961
*''
A. pulchra''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. reginae''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. rockefelleri''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. rubrifasciata''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. septentrionalis''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. similis''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. sonorae''
Cazier, 1954
*''
A. spectabilis''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. striativentris''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. swani''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. sylvestris''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. tonnoiri''
Norris, 1936
*''
A. trimaculata''
Painter, 1936
*''
A. tropica''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. unicolor''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. varia''
Cazier, 1985
*''
A. vespera''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. victoriae''
Paramonov, 1953
*''
A. volucra''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. voragocolis''
Cazier, 1982
*''
A. vulpes''
Hermann, 1909
*''
A. warneri''
Cazier, 1985
*''
A. wilcoxi''
Cazier, 1982
References
External links
*
Apioceridae from Brisbane2009-10-25)
www.mydidae.tdvia.deWebsite von Torsten Dikow (in English)
Torsten Dikow: New insight on the phylogenetic relationships within Mydidae and its relationship to ApioceridaeRobert A. Cannings: A review of the distribution and natural history of ''Apiocera barri'' and ''Nemomydas pantherinus''
{{Authority control
Asiloidea genera
Asiloidea