Muscidae are a 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 ...

found in the superfamily

Muscoidea Muscoidea is a superfamily of flies in the subsection Calyptratae. Muscoidea, with approximately 7000 described species, is nearly 5% of the known species level diversity of the Diptera, the true flies. Most muscoid flies are saprophagous, copr ...

. Muscidae, some of which are commonly known as house flies or stable flies due to their synanthropy, are worldwide in distribution and contain almost 4,000 described species in over 100 genera. Most species are not synanthropic. Adults can be predatory,

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 ...

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 ...

, or feed on a number of types of plant and animal

exudate An exudate is a fluid released by an organism through pores or a wound, a process known as exuding or exudation. ''Exudate'' is derived from ''exude'' 'to ooze' from Latin language, Latin 'to (ooze out) sweat' (' 'out' and ' 'to sweat'). Medi ...

s. They can be attracted to various substances including sugar, sweat, tear

and blood. Larvae occur in various habitats including decaying vegetation, dry and wet soil, nests of insects and birds, fresh water, and carrion. The Housefly, housefly, ''Musca domestica'', is the best known and most important species. Some, from the genera ''

Hydrotaea ''Hydrotaea'' is a genus of insects in the housefly family, Muscidae. They occur in most regions of the world but are more populous in warmer climates. They are often found on feces in summer months, and are therefore generally found in close prox ...

'' and '' Muscina'', are involved in forensic case studies.

Identifying characteristics

The antennae are three-segmented and aristate; vein Rs is two-branched, a frontal suture is present, and the

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 are well developed. The arista is often plumose for the entire length. The hypopleuron is usually without bristles; generally, more than one sternopleural bristle is present. The R5 cell is either parallel-sided or narrowed distally. Vein 2A is short and does not reach the wing margin. The

Fanniidae The Fanniidae are a small (285 species in five genera) group of true flies largely confined to the Holarctic and temperate Neotropical realms; there are 11 Afrotropical species, 29 Oriental, and 14 Australasian. Adults are medium-sized to small ...

, which used to be a subfamily (Fanniinae) of the Muscidae, share these characters, but may be separated from them by the absence of the identifying characteristics for the family Fanniidae.

Biology

Larvae mainly develop in decaying plant material or manure.

Health and economic importance

Adults of many species are passive vectors of pathogens for diseases such as

typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often th ...

dysentery Dysentery ( , ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications may include dehyd ...

anthrax Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Bacillus anthracis'' or ''Bacillus cereus'' biovar ''anthracis''. Infection typically occurs by contact with the skin, inhalation, or intestinal absorption. Symptom onset occurs between one ...

, and

African sleeping sickness African trypanosomiasis is an insect-borne parasitic infection of humans and other animals. Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as African sleeping sickness or simply sleeping sickness, is caused by the species ''Trypanosoma bru ...

. Larvae of some '' Atherigona'' species are important pests in cultivation of cereals, like rice and maize.

Evolution

Seven species in six described genera have been recorded from the fossil record. Lambrecht (1980: 369) estimated that the family Muscidae originated as long ago as the

Permian The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years, from the end of the Carboniferous Period million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.902 Mya. It is the s ...

, although no fossil record exists for the family any older than the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...

Genera

List of genera according to the

Catalogue of Life The Catalogue of Life (CoL) is an online database that provides an index of known species of animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms. It was created in 2001 as a partnership between the global Species 2000 and the American Integrated Taxono ...

: * '' Adia'' * '' Aethiopomyia'' * '' Afromydaea'' * '' Agenamyia'' * '' Albertinella'' * '' Alluaudinella'' * '' Altimyia'' * ''

Amicitia ''Amicitia'' is the Latin word for friendship, either between individuals, between the state and an individual or between states. It was "a technical term of Roman political life" from the 2nd century BC, when, according to Seneca, it was introdu ...

'' * '' Anaphalantus'' * '' Andersonosia'' * '' Anthocoenosia'' * '' Apsil'' * ''

Arthurella ''Arthurella'' is a genus of flies in the family Muscidae Muscidae are a family of flies found in the superfamily Muscoidea. Muscidae, some of which are commonly known as house flies or stable flies due to their synanthropy, are worldwide ...

'' * '' Atelia'' * '' Atherigona'' * '' Auria'' * '' Azelia'' * '' Balioglutum'' * '' Beccimyia'' * '' Biopyrellia'' * '' Bithoracochaeta'' * '' Brachygasterina'' * '' Brevicosta'' * '' Bruceomyia'' * '' Bryantina'' * '' Buccophaonia'' * '' Calliphoroides'' * '' Camptotarsopoda'' * '' Caricea'' * '' Cariocamyia'' * '' Cephalispa'' * '' Chaetagenia'' * '' Chaetopapuaia'' * '' Chaetophaonia'' * '' Charadrella'' * '' Chortinus'' * '' Coenosia'' * '' Cordilura'' * '' Cordiluroides'' * '' Correntosia'' * '' Crucianella'' * '' Curranosia'' * '' Cypselodopteryx'' * '' Cyrtoneurina'' * '' Dasyphora'' * '' Deltotus'' * '' Dichaetomyia'' * '' Dimorphia'' * '' Dolichophaonia'' * '' Drepanocnemis'' * '' Drymeia'' * '' Eginia'' * '' Eginiella'' * '' Eudasyphora'' * '' Exsul'' * '' Fraserella'' * '' Graphomya'' * '' Gymnodia'' * '' Gymnopapuaia'' * '' Haematobia'' * '' Haematobosca'' * '' Haematostoma'' * '' Haroldopsis'' * '' Hebecnema'' * '' Helina'' * '' Helinomydaea'' * '' Heliographa'' * '' Hemichlora'' * '' Hennigiola'' * '' Hennigmyia'' * '' Huckettomyia'' * ''

'' * '' Idiohelina'' * '' Insulamyia'' * '' Itatingamyia'' * '' Lasiopelta'' * '' Limnohelina'' * '' Limnophora'' * '' Limnospila'' * '' Lispacoenosia'' * '' Lispe'' * '' Lispocephala'' * '' Lispoides'' * '' Lophosceles'' * '' Macroeginia'' * '' Macrorchis'' * ''

Magma Magma () is the molten or semi-molten natural material from which all igneous rocks are formed. Magma (sometimes colloquially but incorrectly referred to as ''lava'') is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and evidence of magmatism has also ...

'' * '' Megophyra'' * '' Mesembrina'' * '' Metopomyia'' * '' Microcalyptra'' * '' Mitroplatia'' * '' Morellia'' * '' Mulfordia'' * ''

Musca is a small constellation in the deep southern sky. It was one of 12 constellations created by Petrus Plancius from the observations of Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman, and it first appeared on a celestial globe in diameter p ...

'' * '' Muscina'' * '' Mydaea'' * '' Myiophaea'' * '' Myospila'' * '' Neivamyia'' * '' Neodexiopsis'' * '' Neohelina'' * '' Neolimnophora'' * '' Neomuscina'' * '' Neomyia'' * '' Neorypellia'' * '' Neurotrixa'' * '' Notoschoenomyza'' * '' Nystomyia'' * '' Ochromusca'' * '' Ocypodomyia'' * '' Ophyra'' * '' Opsolasia'' * '' Orchisia'' * '' Oxytonocera'' * '' Pachyceramyia'' * '' Palpibracus'' * '' Papuaia'' * '' Papuaiella'' * '' Paracoenosia'' * '' Paralimnophora'' * '' Parastomoxys'' * '' Parvisquama'' * '' Passeromyia'' * '' Pectiniseta'' * '' Pentacricia'' * '' Phaomusca'' * '' Phaonia'' * '' Phaonidia'' * '' Phaonina'' * ''

Philornis ''Philornis'' is a genus of around 50 species of fly (Diptera, Muscidae) from Central and South America. Their larvae are subcutaneous parasites of nestling birds. They are sometimes referred to as "bot flies", though they are not related to tru ...

'' * '' Pictia'' * '' Pilispina'' * '' Plexiopsis'' * '' Plumispina'' * '' Polietes'' * '' Polietina'' * '' Potamia'' * '' Prohardyia'' * '' Prostomoxys'' * '' Pseudocoenosia'' * '' Pseudohelina'' * '' Pseudoptilolepis'' * '' Psilochaeta'' * '' Pygophora'' * '' Pyrellia'' * '' Pyrellina'' * ''

Reinwardtia ''Reinwardtia indica'', yellow flax or pyoli, is a species of Linaceae found in the Himalayas. It is the only species in the monotypic genus ''Reinwardtia''. Distribution This flower comes from the Himalayas in both China and northern India. U ...

'' * '' Reynoldsia'' * '' Rhabdoptera'' * '' Rhinomusca'' * '' Rhynchomydaea'' * '' Rypellia'' * '' Sarcopromusca'' * '' Scenetes'' * '' Schoenomyza'' * '' Schoenomyzina'' * '' Scutellomusca'' * '' Sinophaonia'' * '' Souzalopesmyia'' * '' Spanochaeta'' * '' Spathipheromyia'' * '' Spilogona'' * '' Stomopogon'' * '' Stomoxys'' * '' Stygeromyia'' * '' Syllimnophora'' * '' Syngamoptera'' * '' Synthesiomyia'' * '' Tamilomyia'' * '' Tertiuseginia'' * '' Tetramerinx'' * '' Thaumasiochaeta'' * '' Thricops'' * '' Trichomorellia'' * '' Villeneuvia'' * '' Xenomorellia'' * '' Xenomyia'' * '' Xenotachina'' * '' Xestomyia''

Types

Types Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * Ty ...

in the Natural History Museum of Berlin

Images

File:Mydaeinae, Muscidae.jpg, Mydaeinae sp. File:Musca.domestica.female.jpg, '' Musca domestica'' File:Musca domestica.jpg, Stable fly, '' Stomoxys calcitrans'', Albuquerque File:Muscidae.jpg, Muscidae sp. File:Limnophora sp.jpg, '' Limnophora sp.'' File:Graphomya eustolia crop.jpg, '' Graphomya eustolia'' File:Pygophora apicalis 189582421.jpg, '' Pygophora apicalis''

Links to Genera and species lists

Palaearctic

Japan

References

External links

Image Gallery from Diptera.info
{{Authority control Brachycera families Taxa named by Pierre André Latreille