Anthomyzidae

Anthomyzidae
Short-winged form of Stiphrosoma sabulosum from Germany
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Superfamily:	Opomyzoidea
Family:	Anthomyzidae
Genera
Amnonthomyza Roháček, 1993 Amygdalops Lamb, 1914 Anagnota Becker, 1902 Anthomyza Fallén, 1810 Apterosepsis Richards, 1962 Barbarista Roháček, 1993 Cercagnota Roháček & Freidberg, 1993 Epischnomyia Roháček, 2006 Fungomyza Roháček, 1999 Ischnomyia Loew, 1863 Margdalops Roháček & Barraclough, 2003 Mumetopia Melander, 1913 Paranthomyza Czerny, 1902 Receptrixa Roháček, 2006 Santhomyza Roháček, 1984 Stiphrosoma Czerny, 1928 Typhamyza Roháček, 1992 Zealantha Roháček, 2007

Anthomyzidae are small, slender, yellow to black flies with narrow and elongate wings, which may have distinct markings. Some species have greatly reduced wings. Fewer than 100 species are known, mostly from Europe. Although they occur in all major regions, they seem to be most varied in the Holarctic Region

Around 20 diverse genera have been placed in the family. Two, Teratomyza and Teratoptera are now in Teratomyzidae, and Cyamops and Stenomicra are in Stenomicridae. Melanthomyza Malloch from Chile should probably not be retained in the family. The remaining genera are very similar to one another.

Description

For terms see Morphology of Diptera.

Minute to small (1.3mm.-4.5 mm), slender flies. They are yellow (sometimes with dark spots or stripes) to black in colour. The postverticals on the head are small, convergent or parallel and rarely absent. There are 2-3 pairs of frontal bristles, which curve backward present and usually preceded by 1 or more weaker bristles.Interfrontal bristles are absent or present.Peristomal bristles ("false vibrissae") present.In the more common Anthomyza and Paranthomyza the lower side of femur 1 has a well developed spine in apical third. Wings usually long and narrow and immaculate (sometimes marked).Costa with a subcostal break and subcosta incomplete.

Biology

Larvae have been reported from decaying dicotyledonous plants, and from fungi and, in Europe, from leaf sheaths of various grasses and of Typha and Juncus, from Lipara galls on Phragmites, It is possible that they may be either phytophagous or saprophagous, but there seem to be no reports of damage to cereals or other plants.

Further reading

• Przemysław Trojan, 1962 Odiniidae, Clusiidae, Anthomyzidae, Opomyzidae, Tethinidae in (series) Klucze do oznaczania owadów Polski, 28,54/58; Muchowki = Diptera, 54/58 Publisher Warszawa : Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe (in Polish)
• Jindřich Roháček, 1996. Revision of Palaearctic Stiphrosoma, including the Anthomyza-laeta group (Diptera, Anthomyzidae). Eur. J. Entomol. 93:89-120, ISSN 1210-5759 European Journal of Entomology
• Jindřich Roháček, 1998. Taxonomic limits, phylogeny and higher classification of Anthomyzidae (Diptera), with special regard to fossil record. Eur. J. Entomol. 95:141-177, ISSN 1210-5759 European Journal of Entomology
• Jindřich Roháček, 2006. A monograph of Palaearctic Anthomyzidae (Diptera), Part 1.published as supplement 1 of the Časopis Slezského zemského muzea, Vol. 55 (2006) 326 pages, 661 black-and-white illustrations. ISSN 1211-3026, ISBN 80-86224-57-0
• Jindřich Roháček, 2007. Zealantha thorpei gen. et sp. nov. (Diptera: Anthomyzidae), first family representative from New Zealand. Zootaxa 1576: 1–13 Zootaxa