Stalk-eyed flies

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Stalk-eyed flies
Stalk-eye fly, Cameroon, Banyang Mbo Research Station

Stalk-eye fly, Cameroon, Banyang Mbo Research Station

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Fly (Diptera)
Subordination : Flies (Brachycera)
Partial order : Muscomorpha
Superfamily : Diopsoidea
Family : Stalk-eyed flies
Scientific name
Diopsidae
Bigot , 1852
Genera
  • Centrioncus
  • Cladodiopsis
  • Cobiopsis
  • Cyrtodiopsis
  • Diasemopsis
  • Diopsina
  • Diopsis
  • Eosiopsis
  • Eurydiopsis
  • Prosphyracephala †
  • Pseudodiopsis
  • Sinodiopsis
  • Sphyracephala
  • Teleopsis
  • Teloglabrus

The stalk-eyed fly (Diopsidae) are a family of Diptera (Diptera). They are counted among the flies (Brachycera). 13 genera with approx. 160 species are known worldwide, which mainly live in the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa , South America and India . Only a few species, all of the genus Sphyracephala , colonize the northern temperate zone: S. brevicornis and S. subbifasciata North America , S. babadjanidesi. Armenia , S. nigrimana the Amur region and S. detrahens the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan. Since 1997, S. europae has also been identified as a species from Europe.

features

The main feature of the stem-eye flies are the eponymous eyes, which sit on long stalks on the side of the head; In contrast to flies with similarly trained eyes from other families, these also carry the antennae. This eye position is used for better spatial perception and orientation. Added to this are the front legs, which are designed as gripping organs and are used by the males during copulation .

Reproduction

Gerald Wilkinson ( University of Maryland ) discovered that male petioles with short eyelid stalks produce predominantly female offspring when mated. It was recently shown that they carry a “selfish” gene on their X sex chromosomes , which by manipulating the sex of the offspring ensures its maximum spread. It is located next to the genetic make-up for the short eye stalks and is therefore inherited with it. By rejecting applicants with this trait, females avoid the fraudulent gene.

Fossil evidence

Fossil members of this family are extremely rare and, with one exception, the few specimens come exclusively from inclusions in Eocene Baltic amber . A two-winged bird found in the somewhat younger simetite (Sicilian amber), which could also belong to this family, is not clearly identified.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ralph D. Stoaks, Scott R. Shaw: Rediscovery and Range Extension of the Stalk-eyed Fly, Sphyracephala subbifasciata Fitch (Diptera: Diopsidae) in Colorado and Wyoming. In: Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society. Vol. 84, Issue 3, Jul 2011, pp. 232-234.
  2. ↑ L. Papp, M. Földvári, P. Paulovics: Sphyracephala europaea sp. n. (Diptera: Diopsidae) from Hungary represents a family new to Europe. In: Folia entomologica hungarica. 58, 1997, pp. 137-146.
  3. ↑ George O. Poinar, Jr .: Life in Amber. Stanford University Press, Stanford (Cal.) 1992, ISBN 0-8047-2001-0 .
  4. ↑ http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/fossilcat/fossdiops.html fossil Diptera

literature

  • U. Seibt: Description and interaction of individual behaviors of pet-eyed flies (genus Diopsis) with special consideration of cleaning behavior. In: Z. Tierpsychol. 31, 1972, pp. 225-239.
  • W. Wickler, U. Seibt: On the ethology of African sucker-eyed flies (Diptera, Diopsidae). In: Z.Tierpsychol. 31, 1972, pp. 113-130.

Web links

Commons : Stieleye flies (Diopsidae)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files