Pantophthalmidae
| Pantophthalmidae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pantophthalmus bellardi (center: listed as Acanthomera championi Wulp) and Pantophthalmus tabaninus (upper left: listed as Acanthomera seticornis) Zoological Museum St. Petersburg. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Infraorder: | Stratiomyomorpha |
| Superfamily: | Stratiomyoidea |
| Family: | Pantophthalmidae |
| Genera | |
| |
Pantophthalmidae is a small family of very large, robust flies, sometimes referred to as timber flies. There are about 22 known species in two genera in the family, all of Neotropical distribution. Superficially they resemble horse flies, but are only distantly related; they are most closely related to the soldier flies (Stratiomyidae). The larvae feed by boring into living wood, an unusual habit for Diptera, and can sometimes be pests. The adult stage is brief and does not feed at all, and most active at dusk.
References
- Val, F. C. 1976. Systematics and Evolution of the Pantophthalmidae (Diptera, Brachycera). Arqu. Zool. São Paulo. 27:51-164.
External links
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 5/31/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.