Mormotomyiidae: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Species of fly}}
{{Taxobox
{{Speciesbox
| name = ''Mormotomyia hirsuta''
| image = Mormotomyia hirsuta.png
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| image_caption = A drawing of male specimen
| phylum = [[Arthropod]]a
| image_alt= A drawing of male specimen
<!-- | subphylum = [[Hexapoda]] -->
| classis = [[Insect]]a
| genus = Mormotomyia
| species = hirsuta
| subclassis = [[Pterygota]]
| display_parents = 3
| infraclassis = [[Neoptera]]
| authority = [[Ernest Edward Austen|Austen]], 1936
| superordo = [[Endopterygota]]
| ordo = [[Fly|Diptera]]
| subordo = [[Brachycera]]
| infraordo = [[Muscomorpha]]
| zoosectio = [[Schizophora]]
| zoosubsectio = [[Calyptratae]]
| superfamilia = [[Hippoboscoidea]]
| familia = '''Mormotomyiidae'''
| genus = '''''Mormotomyia'''''
| species = '''''M. hirsuta'''''
| binomial = ''Mormotomyia hirsuta''
| binomial_authority = [[Ernest Edward Austen|Austen]], 1936
| status = NE
}}
}}


The family '''Mormotomyiidae''' ([[Diptera]]: [[Hippoboscoidea]]) contains only one known species, ''Mormotomyia hirsuta'', commonly known as the '''Terrible Hairy Fly''',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11948321|date=8 December 2010|title=Bizarre hairy fly is rediscovered|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> which is found in [[Kenya]]. The fly was first described by English entomologist [[Ernest Edward Austen]], and specimens have been collected from one location on a mountain in the [[Okazzi Hills]], in a cleft where a bat roost is located; this may possibly be the most restricted geographic distribution for any fly family. The larvae have been collected from [[bat]] [[guano]]. Adult flies are believed to feed on bodily secretions of bats. The fly measures about 1cm long, with hairy legs, and, due to its non-functional wings and tiny eyes, looks more like a spider than a fly. Specimens have only been collected twice, in 1933 and 1948.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nasmus.co.za/museum/news/world%E2%80%99s-rarest-fly-rediscovered|title=World’s rarest fly rediscovered|date=7 December 2010|publisher=National Museum|accessdate=10 December 2010}}</ref>
The family '''Mormotomyiidae''' ([[Fly|Diptera]]: [[Ephydroidea]]) contains only one known species, '''''Mormotomyia hirsuta''''', [[Common name|commonly known]] as the '''frightful hairy fly'''<ref name = "KSetal2011">Kirk-Spriggs, A.H., Kotrba, M. & Copeland, R.S. 2011. Further details of the morphology of the enigmatic African fly ''Mormotomyia hirsuta'' Austen (Diptera: Mormotomyiidae). ''[[African Invertebrates]]'' '''52''' (1): 145-165.[http://africaninvertebrates.org/ojs/index.php/AI/article/view/278]</ref> or '''terrible hairy fly''',<ref name=Copeland/><ref name=ncbi>{{cite web|author1=<!-- not stated -->|title=''Mormotomyia hirsuta''|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?mode=Info&id=1155705&lvl=3&lin=f&keep=1&srchmode=1&unlock|website=NCBI taxonomy|publisher=National Center for Biotechnology Information|access-date=10 January 2018|location=Bethesda, MD|language=en|quote=Genbank common name: terrible hairy fly }}</ref> which is found in [[Kenya]]. The fly was first described by English entomologist [[Ernest Edward Austen]],<ref>Austen, E.E. 1936. A remarkable semi-apterous fly (Diptera) found in a cave in East Africa, and representing a new family, genus, and species. ''Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London'' ('''1936'''): 425–431.</ref> and specimens have been collected from one location on a mountain in the [[Ukasi Hill]] (Okazzi Hills), in a cleft where a bat roost is located; this may possibly be the most restricted geographic distribution for any fly family. The larvae have been collected from [[bat]] [[guano]]. Adult flies are believed to feed on bodily secretions of bats. The fly measures about 1&nbsp;cm long, with hairy legs, and, due to its nonfunctional wings and tiny eyes, looks more like a spider than a fly. Specimens have been collected only three times, in 1933, 1948, and 2010.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11948321|date=8 December 2010|title=Bizarre hairy fly is rediscovered|newspaper=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nasmus.co.za/museum/news/world%E2%80%99s-rarest-fly-rediscovered|title=World's rarest fly rediscovered|date=7 December 2010|publisher=National Museum|access-date=10 December 2010|archive-date=18 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718111003/http://www.nasmus.co.za/museum/news/world%E2%80%99s-rarest-fly-rediscovered|url-status=dead}}</ref> Tested members of the [[population]] showed higher levels of genetic variation than would be expected for such a restricted range, suggesting that additional undiscovered populations exist with [[gene flow]] occurring between them and the known population in Ukasi Hill.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Meyer, Marc De|year=1994|title=The obscure cave-fly from Kenya|url=https://archive.org/details/bulletin232619931996east/page/n124/mode/1up|journal=EANHS Bulletin|volume=24|issue=2|pages=21–22}}</ref><ref name=Copeland>Copeland, R.S., Kirk-Spriggs, A.H., Muteti, S., Booth, W. & Wiegmann, B.M. 2011. Rediscovery of the "terrible hairy fly", ''Mormotomyia hirsuta'' Austen (Diptera: Mormotomyiidae), in eastern Kenya, with notes on biology, natural history, and genetic variation of the Ukasi Hill population. ''[[African Invertebrates]]'' '''52''' (2): 363-390.{{cite web |url=http://www.africaninvertebrates.org.za/Copeland_etal_2011_52_2_524.aspx |title=Archived copy |access-date=2011-11-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111021081531/http://www.africaninvertebrates.org.za/Copeland_etal_2011_52_2_524.aspx |archive-date=2011-10-21 }}</ref>

==Taxonomy==
While the fly was originally thought to belong in the superfamily [[Sphaeroceroidea]], later authorities placed it in [[Hippoboscoidea]], still later work suggested it belonged instead to the [[Carnoidea]], but work in 2011 suggested that its true affiliation is to [[Ephydroidea]].<ref name = "KSetal2011" />


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{Wikispecies-inline|Mormotomyiidae}}
* {{Wikispecies-inline|Mormotomyiidae}}
*[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1336799/Africas-terrible-hairy-fly-Kenya-62-years-missing--t-fly.html Daily Mail article with photographs]


{{Diptera|2}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1932452|from2=Q5418553|from3=Q5336263}}


{{fly-stub}}

[[Category:Flies]]
[[Category:Environment of Kenya]]
[[Category:Environment of Kenya]]
[[Category:Insect families]]
[[Category:Brachycera families]]
[[Category:Monogeneric Diptera families]]
[[Category:Diptera of Africa]]



{{Ephydroidea-stub}}
[[it:Hirsuta Mormotomyia]]
[[no:Mormotomyiidae]]
[[pt:Mormotomyia hirsuta]]
[[fi:Mormotomyia hirsuta]]

Latest revision as of 23:12, 18 December 2023

Mormotomyiidae
A drawing of male specimen
A drawing of male specimen
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Superfamily: Ephydroidea
Family: Mormotomyiidae
Genus: Mormotomyia
Species:
M. hirsuta
Binomial name
Mormotomyia hirsuta
Austen, 1936

The family Mormotomyiidae (Diptera: Ephydroidea) contains only one known species, Mormotomyia hirsuta, commonly known as the frightful hairy fly[1] or terrible hairy fly,[2][3] which is found in Kenya. The fly was first described by English entomologist Ernest Edward Austen,[4] and specimens have been collected from one location on a mountain in the Ukasi Hill (Okazzi Hills), in a cleft where a bat roost is located; this may possibly be the most restricted geographic distribution for any fly family. The larvae have been collected from bat guano. Adult flies are believed to feed on bodily secretions of bats. The fly measures about 1 cm long, with hairy legs, and, due to its nonfunctional wings and tiny eyes, looks more like a spider than a fly. Specimens have been collected only three times, in 1933, 1948, and 2010.[5][6] Tested members of the population showed higher levels of genetic variation than would be expected for such a restricted range, suggesting that additional undiscovered populations exist with gene flow occurring between them and the known population in Ukasi Hill.[7][2]

Taxonomy[edit]

While the fly was originally thought to belong in the superfamily Sphaeroceroidea, later authorities placed it in Hippoboscoidea, still later work suggested it belonged instead to the Carnoidea, but work in 2011 suggested that its true affiliation is to Ephydroidea.[1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Kirk-Spriggs, A.H., Kotrba, M. & Copeland, R.S. 2011. Further details of the morphology of the enigmatic African fly Mormotomyia hirsuta Austen (Diptera: Mormotomyiidae). African Invertebrates 52 (1): 145-165.[1]
  2. ^ a b Copeland, R.S., Kirk-Spriggs, A.H., Muteti, S., Booth, W. & Wiegmann, B.M. 2011. Rediscovery of the "terrible hairy fly", Mormotomyia hirsuta Austen (Diptera: Mormotomyiidae), in eastern Kenya, with notes on biology, natural history, and genetic variation of the Ukasi Hill population. African Invertebrates 52 (2): 363-390."Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-10-21. Retrieved 2011-11-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ "Mormotomyia hirsuta". NCBI taxonomy. Bethesda, MD: National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved 10 January 2018. Genbank common name: terrible hairy fly
  4. ^ Austen, E.E. 1936. A remarkable semi-apterous fly (Diptera) found in a cave in East Africa, and representing a new family, genus, and species. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London (1936): 425–431.
  5. ^ "Bizarre hairy fly is rediscovered". BBC News. 8 December 2010.
  6. ^ "World's rarest fly rediscovered". National Museum. 7 December 2010. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
  7. ^ Meyer, Marc De (1994). "The obscure cave-fly from Kenya". EANHS Bulletin. 24 (2): 21–22.

External links[edit]