Lauxaniidae Cestrotus species 2012 03 05 3589s

The Lauxaniidae are a family of acalyptrate

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 ...

. They generally are small flies (length 7 mm or less) with large

compound eye A compound eye is a Eye, visual organ found in arthropods such as insects and crustaceans. It may consist of thousands of ommatidium, ommatidia, which are tiny independent photoreception units that consist of a cornea, lens (anatomy), lens, and p ...

s that often are brightly coloured in life, sometimes with characteristic horizontal stripes, such as in '' Cestrotus'' species. Many species have variegated patterns on their wings, but in contrast they generally do not have variegated bodies, except for genera such as ''Cestrotus'', whose camouflage mimics lichens or the texture of granitic rocks. Some 1800 species of Lauxaniidae have been described and they comprise some 126 genera. The family has a

cosmopolitan distribution In biogeography, a cosmopolitan distribution is the range of a taxon that extends across most or all of the surface of the Earth, in appropriate habitats; most cosmopolitan species are known to be highly adaptable to a range of climatic and en ...

, most of the species occurring in tropical regions of Asia and the Americas; relatively few species occur in

Afrotropical The Afrotropical realm is one of the Earth's eight biogeographic realms. It includes Sub-Saharan Africa, the southern Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, and the islands of the western Indian Ocean. It was formerly known as the Ethiopi ...

regions, and Lauxaniid species diversity declines strongly towards the more temperate regions; for example fewer than 200 European species have been described. Most species inhabit forests, where the adults usually are found sitting on leaves of the

understory In forestry and ecology, understory (American English), or understorey (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English), also known as underbrush or undergrowth, includes plant life growing beneath the Canopy (biology), forest ca ...

. They are far less common in open country, such as

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other Herbaceo ...

habitats.

Description

For terms, see

Morphology of Diptera Dipteran morphology differs in some significant ways from the broader insect morphology, morphology of insects. The Diptera is a very large and diverse Order (biology), order of mostly small to medium-sized insects. They have prominent compound ey ...

Lauxaniidae are small flies (2–7 mm in length). They are often rather plump, dull, or partly lustrous flies. The body colour varies from yellow to brown or black, or with a combination of these colours. The head varies in shape, with the face potentially projecting or retreating, and may be convex, flat, or concave, often lacking oral vibrissae (though sometimes poorly developed or occasionally featuring strong bristles near the vibrissal angle). The postvertical bristles converge, though in rare cases they may be parallel. The frons is broad, with two pairs of frontal bristles; the upper pair is always reclinate, while the lower pair may sometimes be decussate. Interfrontal bristles are absent. Ocellar bristles may be present or minute. The antennae vary, and the arista is plumose, ranging from pubescent to bare. The thorax features bristles, at least behind the suture, and the scutellum is usually bare except for marginal bristles. Propleural bristles may be present or absent, and one or two sternopleural bristles are observed. All tibiae have a preapical bristle. The wings may be marked or unmarked (with some species showing spots along the veins). Wing venation is complete, the costa is continuous, and the subcosta is entire, ending in the costa. The second basal and anal cells are short, and the apical cell is usually widely open. The abdomen is oval, though it may be elongated in rare cases.

Biology

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 are mostly

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 ...

, feeding in

leaf litter Plant litter (also leaf litter, tree litter, soil litter, litterfall, or duff) is dead plant material (such as leaves, bark, needles, twigs, and cladodes) that has fallen to the ground. This detritus or dead organic material and its constituen ...

, soil, bird nests, etc. Larvae of some mine fallen leaves, others live in rotten wood, and some cause deformation of the flowers and pistils of violets.

Genera

*'' Afrominettia'' Stuckenberg, 1971 *'' Agriphoneura'' Hendel, 1925 *'' Allogriphoneura'' Hendel, 1926 *'' Allominettia'' Hendel, 1925 *''

Amblada Amblada () was a town of ancient Lycaonia or of Pisidia, inhabited in Hellenistic In classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Greek history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC an ...

Walker Walker or The Walker may refer to: People *Walker (given name) *Walker (surname) *Walker (Brazilian footballer) (born 1982), Brazilian footballer Places In the United States *Walker, Arizona, in Yavapai County *Walker, Mono County, California * ...

1860 *'' Arnomyia'' Malloch, 1925 *'' Asilostoma'' Hendel, 1925 *'' Aulogastromyia'' Hendel, 1925 *'' Baliopteridion'' Papp & Silva, 1995 *'' Calliopum'' Strand, 1928 *'' Camptoprosopella'' Hendel, 1907 *'' Cestrotus'' Loew, 1862SHI LI (China), DING YANG (China) & STEPHEN D. GAIMARI (USA). Species of the genus Cestrotus Loew from China (Diptera: Lauxaniidae) Zootaxa 2009: 41-68 (11 Feb. 2009) ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition *'' Choryeuromyia'' Gaimari & Silva, 2010 *'' Cnemacantha'' Macquart, 1835 *'' Deceia'' Malloch, 1923 *'' Deutominettia'' Hendel, 1925 *'' Elipolambda'' Gaimari & Silva, 2020 *'' Eurychoromyia'' Hendel, 1910 *'' Euryhendelimyia'' Gaimari & Silva, 2010 *'' Eurystratiomyia'' Gaimari & Silva, 2010 *''

Eusapromyza ''Eusapromyza'' is a genus of small fly, flies of the family Lauxaniidae. Species *''Eusapromyza balioptera, E. balioptera'' Leander Czerny, Czerny, 1932 *''Eusapromyza beraudi, E. beraudi'' (Mario Bezzi, Bezzi, 1909) *''Eusapromyza martineki, E ...

'' Malloch, 1923 *'' Exalla'' Gaimari, 2011 *'' Gauzania'' Walker, 1856 *'' Gibbolauxania'' Papp & Silva, 1995 *'' Griphoneura'' Schiner, 1868 *'' Griphoneuromima'' Gaimari & Silva, 2020 *'' Hirtodeceia'' Shewell, 1986 *'' Homoneura'' Wulp, 1891 *''

Lauxania '' Lauxania'' is a genus of small fly, flies of the family Lauxaniidae. Selected species *''Lauxania albipes, L. albipes'' Christian Rudolph Wilhelm Wiedemann, Wiedemann, 1830 *''Lauxania albiseta, L. albiseta'' Daniel William Coquillett, Coquil ...

'' Latreille, 1804 *'' Luzonomyza'' Malloch, 1925 *'' Mallochomyza'' Hendel, 1925 *'' Marmarodeceia'' Shewell, 1986 *'' Meiosimyza'' Hendel, 1925 *'' Melanomyza'' Malloch, 1923 *'' Meraina'' Gaimari & Silva, 2020 *'' Minettia'' Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 *'' Minilauxania'' Papp & Silva, 1995 *'' Mycterella'' Kertész, 1912 *'' Myzaprosa'' Gaimari & Silva, 2020 *'' Neodeceia'' Malloch, 1924 *'' Neogeomyza'' Séguy, 1938 *'' Neogriphoneura'' Malloch, 1924 *'' Neoparoecus'' Özdikmen & Merz, 2006 *'' Oncodometopus'' Shewell, 1986 *'' Pachycerina'' Macquart, 1835 *'' Pachyopella'' Shewell, 1986 *'' Paradeceia'' Gaimari & Silva, 2020 *'' Paranomina'' Hendel, 1907 *'' Parapachycerina'' Stuckenberg, 1971 *'' Peplominettia'' Szilády, 1943 *''

Peplomyza ''Peplomyza'' is a genus of flies in the family 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 colour ...

'' Haliday, 1837 *'' Physegeniopsis'' Gaimari & Silva, 2010 *''

Physegenua ''Physegenua'' is a neotropical genus of fly, flies in the family Lauxaniidae. Species These 11 species belong to the genus ''Physegenua'': *''Physegenua annulata, P. annulata'' (Macquart, 1844) *''Physegenua banksi, P. banksi'' Curran, 1942 *''P ...

'' Macquart, 1848 *'' Physoclypeus'' Hendel, 1907 *'' Poecilolycia'' Shewell, 1986 *'' Poecilominettia'' Hendel, 1932 *'' Prosopomyia'' Loew, 1856 *'' Pseudocalliope'' Malloch, 1928 *'' Pseudodeceia'' Gaimari & Silva, 2020 *'' Pseudominettia'' Papp & Silva, 1995 *'' Roryeuchomyia'' Gaimari & Silva, 2010 *'' Sapromyza'' Fallén, 1810 *'' Sapromyzosoma'' Lioy, 1864 *'' Sciasminettia'' Shewell, 1986 *'' Sericominettia'' Gaimari & Silva, 2020 *'' Steganolauxania''

Frey Freyr (Old Norse: 'Lord'), sometimes anglicized as Frey, is a widely attested god in Norse mythology, associated with kingship, fertility, peace, prosperity, fair weather, and good harvest. Freyr, sometimes referred to as Yngvi-Freyr, was especi ...

, 1918 *'' Stenolauxania'' Malloch, 1926 *'' Tauridion'' Papp & Silva, 1995 *'' Tricholauxania'' Hendel, 1925 *''

Trigonometopus ''Trigonometopus'' is a genus of flies in the family Lauxaniidae. There are more than 20 described species in ''Trigonometopus''. Species These 25 species belong to the genus ''Trigonometopus'': *'' Trigonometopus abnormis'' Shatalkin, 1999 *' ...

'' Macquart, 1835 *'' Trisapromyza'' Shewell, 1986 *'' Trivialia'' Malloch, 1923 *'' Trypetisoma'' Malloch, 1924 *'' Wawu'' Evenhuis 1989 *'' Xangelina''

1856 *'' Xeniconeura'' Shewell, 1986 *'' Xenochaetina'' Malloch, 1923 *'' Xenopterella'' Malloch, 1926 *'' Zamyprosa'' Gaimari & Silva, 2020 *'' Zargopsinettia'' Gaimari & Silva, 2020

Gallery

File:Oscinella frit.jpg, File:Lauxaniidae Unidentified Cestrotus species 2012 03 05 3467s.JPG, File:Fly November 2007-11.jpg, File:Minettia fasciata.ogv, Video: female of the ''Minettia fasciata'' group File:Fly June 2008-5.jpg, File:Sapromyzosoma quadricincta 01.JPG, File:Steganopsis m in ethanol.jpg, '' Steganopsis melanogaster'' File:Wawu queenslandensis.png, '' Wawu queenslandensis''

References

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 ...

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Family descriptionsWing venation
{{Authority control Brachycera families Articles containing video clips Taxa named by Pierre-Justin-Marie Macquart

Description

Biology

Genera

Gallery

References

Further reading

Identification

Species lists

External links