Asteiidae

Asteiidae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Suborder:	Brachycera
Section:	Schizophora
Subsection:	Acalyptratae
Superfamily:	Opomyzoidea
Family:	Asteiidae

Asteiidae is a small but widespread family of acalyptrate flies or Diptera. About 130 species in 10 genera have been described world-wide.They are rarely collected.

Family Description

Adult asteiids are small (1-3 milimeter),thin-bodied , delicate flies.The wings are relatively long and transparent. See [1]

Biology

Adults have been collected at windows and tree wounds . Larval biologies are unknown, but adults have been reared from fungi, stalks of Cannabis sativa, flower buds, and dried reed stems. Sabrosky (1987) suggested that the larvae may be scavengers in the frass of other insects.

Species Lists

• Palaearctic

• Nearctic

• Japan One species

Identification (Literature)

Sabrosky, C.W., 1956.Additions to the knowledge of Old World Asteiidae.Revue francaise d'entomologie (Nouvelle Serie) 23:216-243.

Authorship

The family Asteiidae was erected by Hermann Loew

Images

See Images at Diptera.info

References

Papp, L. 1998. Family Asteiidae. I: Papp, L. and Darvas, B.: Contributions to a Manual of Palaearctic Diptera. 3: 295-303. Science Herald, Budapest.

Papp L., 1984. Family Asteiidae. In: Soós Á. & Papp L. (eds.), Catalogue of Palaearctic Diptera, 10. Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest - Elsevier, Amsterdam: 63-66.