The Helcomyzidae are a small
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
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 ...
in the
Acalyptratae
The Acalyptratae or Acalyptrata are a subsection of the Schizophora, which are a section of the order Diptera, the "true flies". In various contexts the Acalyptratae also are referred to informally as the acalyptrate muscoids, or acalyptrates, a ...
. The larvae feed on kelp and other organic matter washed up on shorelines. Species diversity is highest in
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
and south temperate
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 ...
. They are sometimes allied with the families
Dryomyzidae or
Coelopidae
The Coelopidae or kelp flies are a family of Acalyptratae flies (order Diptera), they are sometimes also called seaweed flies, although both terms are used for a number of seashore Diptera. Fewer than 40 species occur worldwide. The family is fo ...
.
Classification
*Genus: ''
Helcomyza''
Curtis
Curtis or Curtiss is a common English given name and surname of Anglo-Norman origin, deriving from the Old French ''curteis'' (Modern French">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of Fren ...
, 1825
:*''
Helcomyza mediterranea''
Loew, 1854
:*''
Helcomyza mirabilis''
Melander, 1920
:*''
Helcomyza ustulata''
Curtis
Curtis or Curtiss is a common English given name and surname of Anglo-Norman origin, deriving from the Old French ''curteis'' (Modern French">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of Fren ...
, 1825
*Genus: ''
Maorimyia''
Tonnoir & Malloch, 1928
:*''
Maorimyia bipunctata''
( Hutton, 1901)
*Genus: ''
Paractora''
Bigot, 1888
:*''
Paractora angustata''
Malloch, 1933
:*''
Paractora antarctica''
(Thomson Thomson may refer to:
Names
* Thomson (surname), a list of people with this name and a description of its origin
* Thomson baronets, four baronetcies created for persons with the surname Thomson
Businesses and organizations
* SGS-Thomson M ...
, 1869)
:*''
Paractora asymmetrica''
( Enderlein, 1930)
:*''
Paractora bipunctata''
( Hutton, 1901)
:*''
Paractora dreuxi''
Seguy, 1965
:*''
Paractora jeanneli''
Seguy, 1940
:*''
Paractora moseleyi''
( Austen, 1913)
:*''
Paractora rufipes''
( Macquart, 1844)
:*''
Paractora trichosterna''
(Thomson, 1869)
References
*McAlpine, J. P. (ed.), 1981–89.''Manual of Nearctic Diptera''. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada Monograph
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1266001
Brachycera families