The Acalyptratae or Acalyptrata are a subsection of the

Schizophora The Schizophora are a section of true flies containing 78 families, which are collectively referred to as muscoids, although technically the term "muscoid" should be limited to flies in the superfamily Muscoidea; this is an example of informal, ...

, which are a section of the order

Diptera Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advance ...

, the "true flies". In various contexts the Acalyptratae also are referred to informally as the acalyptrate muscoids, or acalyptrates, as opposed to the

Calyptratae Calyptratae is a subsection of Schizophora in the insect order Diptera, commonly referred to as the calyptrate muscoids (or simply calyptrates). It consists of those flies which possess a calypter that covers the halteres, among which are some ...

. All forms of the name refer to the lack of

calypter A calypter is either of two posterior lobes of the posterior margin of the insect wing, forewing of fly, flies between the extreme posterior wing base and the insect wing#Fields, alula, which covers the halteres. The lower calypter is the proxi ...

s in the members of this subsection of flies. An alternative name, Acalypterae is current, though in minority usage. It was first used by

Pierre-Justin-Marie Macquart Pierre-Justin-Marie Macquart (8 April 1778 – 25 November 1855) was a French entomologist specialising in the study of Fly, flies. He worked on world species as well as European and described many new species. Biography Early life Macquart wa ...

in 1835 for a section of his tribe Muscides; he used it to refer to all acalyptrates plus scathophagids and phorids, but excluding

Conopidae The Conopidae, also known as the thick-headed flies, are a family of fly, flies within the Brachycera suborder of Diptera, and the sole member of the superfamily Conopoidea. Flies of the family Conopidae are distributed worldwide in all the bio ...

. The confusing forms of the names stem from their first usage; ''Acalyptratae'' and ''Acalyptrata'' actually are adjectival forms in

Neo-Latin Neo-LatinSidwell, Keith ''Classical Latin-Medieval Latin-Neo Latin'' in ; others, throughout. (also known as New Latin and Modern Latin) is the style of written Latin used in original literary, scholarly, and scientific works, first in Italy d ...

. They were coined in the mid 19th century in contexts such as "Muscae Calyptratae and Acalyptratae" and "Diptera Acalyptrata", and the forms stuck. The Acalyptratae are a large assemblage, exhibiting very diverse habits, with one notable and perhaps surprising exception: no known acalyptrates are obligate blood-feeders (

hematophagous Hematophagy (sometimes spelled haematophagy or hematophagia) is the practice by certain animals of feeding on blood (from the Greek words αἷμα ' "blood" and φαγεῖν ' "to eat"). Since blood is a fluid tissue rich in nutritious pr ...

), though blood feeding at various stages of the life history is common throughout other

n sections.

Classification

The classification of the Acalyptratae has varied over time, and the below list is likely to change in future. *Subsection Acalyptratae **Superfamily Conopoidea ***

**Superfamily Tephritoidea *** Ctenostylidae *** Eurygnathomyiidae *** Lonchaeidae *** Pallopteridae ***

Piophilidae The Piophilidae are a Family (biology), family of "true flies", in the Order (biology), order Diptera. The so-called cheese flies are the best-known members, but most species of the Piophilidae are scavengers in animal products, carrion, and fun ...

*** Platystomatidae *** Pyrgotidae *** Richardiidae ***

Tephritidae The Tephritidae are one of two fly families referred to as fruit flies, the other family being the Drosophilidae. The family Tephritidae does not include the biological model organisms of the genus '' Drosophila'' (in the family Drosophilidae ...

(including Tachiniscidae) ***

Ulidiidae The Ulidiidae (formerly Otitidae) or picture-winged flies are a large and diverse cosmopolitan family of flies (Diptera), and as in related families, most species are herbivorous or detritivorous. They are often known as picture-winged flies, al ...

**Superfamily Nerioidea *** Cypselosomatidae *** Fergusoninidae ***

Micropezidae 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).McAlpine, D.K. (199 ...

***

Neriidae The Neriidae are a family of true fly, flies (Diptera) closely related to the Micropezidae. Some species are known as cactus flies, while others have been called banana stalk flies and the family was earlier treated as subfamily of the Micropezi ...

*** Pseudopomyzidae *** Strongylophthalmyiidae *** Tanypezidae **Superfamily Diopsoidea *** Diopsidae *** Gobryidae *** Megamerinidae *** Nothybidae *** Psilidae *** Somatiidae *** Syringogastridae **Superfamily

Sciomyzoidea Sciomyzoidea is a Taxonomic rank, superfamily of Acalyptratae fly, flies. The family (biology), families placed here include at least the following: * Coelopidae – seaweed flies * Dryomyzidae * Helcomyzidae * Helosciomyzidae * Heterocheili ...

*** Coelopidae *** Dryomyzidae *** Helcomyzidae *** Helosciomyzidae *** Heterocheilidae *** Ropalomeridae ***

Sepsidae The Sepsidae are a family (biology), family of Fly, flies, commonly called the black scavenger flies or ensign flies. Over 300 species are described worldwide. They are usually found around dung or decaying plant and animal material. Many species ...

***

Sciomyzidae The family (biology), family Sciomyzidae belongs to the typical flies (Brachycera) of the order (biology), order Fly, Diptera. They are commonly called marsh flies, and in some cases snail-killing flies due to the food of their larvae. Here, t ...

(including Huttoninidae and Phaeomyiidae) **Superfamily Sphaeroceroidea *** Chyromyidae *** Heleomyzidae *** Heteromyzidae (disputed) *** Nannodastiidae ***

Sphaeroceridae Sphaeroceridae are a family (biology), family of true flies in the order (biology), order Fly, Diptera, often called small dung flies, lesser dung flies or lesser corpse flies due to their saprophagous habits. They belong to the typical fly subo ...

**Superfamily Lauxanioidea ***

Celyphidae The Celyphidae, commonly known as beetle flies or beetle-backed flies, are a family of flies (order Diptera). About 115 species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate ...

***

Chamaemyiidae The Chamaemyiidae are a small family of acalyptrate flies with less than 200 species described worldwide. The larvae of these small flies are active and predatory and are often used for biological control of aphids, scale insects, and simi ...

***

Lauxaniidae The Lauxaniidae are a family of Acalyptratae, acalyptrate fly, flies. They generally are small flies (length 7 mm or less) with large compound eyes that often are brightly coloured in life, sometimes with characteristic horizontal stripes, s ...

**Superfamily Opomyzoidea *** Agromyzidae *** Anthomyzidae *** Asteiidae *** Aulacigastridae *** Clusiidae *** Marginidae *** Neminidae *** Neurochaetidae *** Odiniidae *** Opomyzidae *** Periscelididae *** Teratomyzidae *** Xenasteiidae **Superfamily Ephydroidea *** Camillidae ***

Curtonotidae The Curtotonidae or quasimodo flies are a small family of small grey to dark brown humpbacked flies (Diptera) with a worldwide distribution, but with very few species in the Nearctic, Australasian/Oceanian, and Palaearctic regions. Most members of ...

*** Diastatidae ***

Drosophilidae The Drosophilidae are a diverse, cosmopolitan family of flies, which includes species called fruit flies, although they are more accurately referred to as vinegar or pomace flies. Another distantly related family of flies, Tephritidae, are true f ...

***

Ephydridae Ephydridae (shore flies, sometimes brine flies) is a family of insects in the order Fly, Diptera. Shore flies are tiny flies that can be found near seashores or at smaller inland waters, such as ponds. About 2,000 species have been described worl ...

*** Mormotomyiidae **Superfamily Carnoidea *** Acartophthalmidae *** Australimyzidae ***

Braulidae Braulidae, or bee lice, is a family of true flies (''Diptera'') with seven species in two genera, '' Braula'' and '' Megabraula''. They are found in honey bee colonies due to their phoretic, inquiline, and kleptoparasitic relationships with ...

*** Canacidae *** Carnidae *** Chloropidae *** Cryptochetidae *** Inbiomyiidae *** Milichiidae **Acalyptratae incertae sedis *** Paraleucopidae

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q637961