The Celyphidae, commonly known as beetle flies or beetle-backed flies, are a family of flies (order Diptera). About 115 species in about 9 genera are known chiefly from the

Oriental The Orient is a term for the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of ''Occident'', the Western World. In English, it is largely a metonym for, and coterminous with, the ...

and Afrotropic biogeographic regions with one lineage in the New World.

Description

Celyphidae are small to medium-sized and easily recognised. The scutellum is enlarged, and forming a protective shell over the abdomen, giving them a beetle-like appearance. Also, like many beetles, Celyphidae are often shiny or metallic in color. The head has few bristles. The wings, when at rest, are folded beneath the scutellar "shell". The arista of the antenna is often flattened and leaf-like at the base. The family name is derived from the Greek word κέλυφος for pod or shell. Male celyphids lack an aedeagus and instead have paired gonapophyses that are used in copulation and are of key taxonomic value. Celyphidae Beetle fly

Biology

The biology of the family is poorly known. Adults are found along streams and rivers, and in wet, grassy areas. Larvae are

saprophagous Saprotrophic nutrition or lysotrophic nutrition is a process of chemoheterotrophic extracellular digestion involved in the processing of decayed (dead or waste) organic matter. It occurs in saprotrophs, and is most often associated with fungi ...

Relatives

The family Celyphidae is considered by most authors to be the sister taxon of the

Lauxaniidae The Lauxaniidae are a family of acalyptrate 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, such as in '' Cestr ...

(e.g., Griffiths 1972), and this has been supported by some molecular studies which suggest the (Chamaemyiidae + (Lauxaniidae + Celyphidae)) within the Lauxanoiodea. In the past they have occasionally been considered a specialized lineage within the Lauxaniidae.

Classification

*Genus '' Acelyphus'' Malloch, 1929 - Asia *Genus '' Atopocelyphus,'' Gaimari, 2017 - French Guiana *Genus '' Celyphus''

Dalman Dalman is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Albert Gustaf Dahlman (1848–1920), born Albert Gustaf Dalman, Swedish executioner * Cecilia Dalman Eek (born 1960), Swedish politician * Chris Dalman (born 1970), former professional ...

, 1818 - Africa and Asia **Subgenus '' Celyphus''

, 1818 - Asia **Subgenus '' Hemiglobus'' Frey, 1941 - Africa **Subgenus '' Paracelyphus'' Bigot, 1859 - Asia *Genus '' Chamaecelyphus'' Frey, 1941 - Africa *Genus '' Idiocelyphus'' Malloch, 1929 - Asia *Genus '' Oocelyphus'' Chen, 1949 - southern China *Genus '' Spaniocelyphus''

Hendel Hendel is a surname, and may refer to: * Frank B. Hendel (1892–1973), New York politician * Friedrich Georg Hendel (1874–1936), Austrian high school director and entomologist mainly interested in Diptera * Geerd Hendel (1903–1998), naval a ...

, 1914 - Africa and Asia

References

External links