Real flies

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Real flies
Black blown fly (Thricops semicinereus) on buttercup (Ranunculus acris)

Black blown fly ( Thricops semicinereus ) on
buttercup ( Ranunculus acris )

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Fly (Diptera)
Subordination : Flies (Brachycera)
Partial order : Muscomorpha
Superfamily : Muscoidea
Family : Real flies
Scientific name
Muscidae
Latreille , 1802

The real flies (Muscidae) are a family of the two-winged (Diptera) and belong to the suborder of the flies (Brachycera). Around 4,000 species have been described worldwide . About 600 species are known from Europe , 500 of which occur in Central Europe .

Fossil evidence of real flies is only known from the Eocene and later geological units of the Tertiary , but it is believed that they lived in the Permian .

features

The flies reach a body length of 2 to 18 millimeters and have a strong build. They are usually gray, steel blue, greenish, yellow or red in color. Some look similar to blowflies (Calliphoridae). Their antennae are three-segment, short and clumsy. The hypopleurs have no bristles. In addition to the compound eyes , the animals also have three point eyes ( ocelli ). Their mouthparts are well developed and trained to either lick or stab.

The larvae are maggot-shaped .

Way of life

The flies live very differently depending on the species. There are parasitic species that suck blood , predators, flower visitors and those that eat various fluids, such as B. sucking feces. Among the larvae there are saprophages or mycetophages , which feed on dead, organic material or the fungi growing in it, and coprophages , which feed on feces . Some species live phytophagus , such as B. as a miner in plants.

The larvae mainly live on the ground or in their preferred food, but there are also some species in which the larvae develop in water.

development

The larvae develop very quickly in up to eight days. Most European species need two to three weeks for this. This results in around eight generations per year. The larvae go through three larval stages.

Enemies

Due to their high reproduction rate, the theoretical number of offspring is extremely high. In fact, the majority of the animals are severely decimated by predators and especially by parasitoids that have specialized in them.

Flies as a disease vector

There are a number of species that, because of their way of life , can transmit various diseases just like other flies . This can e.g. B. the bacterial dysentery , cholera , hepatitis , polio , anthrax , sleeping sickness and typhoid . However, these dangers are only known from the tropical and warm regions of the world.

Internal system

The more important subfamilies and species include:

  • Atherigoninae
  • Azeliinae
  • Coenosiinae
  • Small predator fly Coenosia tigrina
  • Limnophora obsignata
  • Cyrtoneurininae
  • Dichaetomyiinae
  • Muscinae
  • Mydaeinae
  • Phaoniinae
  • Reinwardtiinae

gallery

  • Phaonia subventa male

  • Gray-black house fly ( Polietes lardarius )

  • Stable fly Muscina stabulans

  • Coenosia tigrina

  • Limnophora obsignata

  • Calf stick ( Stomoxys calcitrans )

  • Housefly ( Musca domestica )

  • Midday fly ( Mesembrina meridiana )

  • Mydaea corni

  • Spotted house fly Graphomya maculata

  • Hebecnema nigra

  • Phaonia valida

  • Helina depuncta

credentials

  1. ↑ Muscidae. Fauna Europaea, accessed December 22, 2006 .
  2. ↑ George O. Poinar, Jr .: Life in Amber . 350 pp., 147 figs., 10 plates, Stanford University Press, Stanford (Cal.) 1992. ISBN 0-8047-2001-0
  3. ↑ Fossil Diptera Catalog - Web Version - Family MUSCIDAE fossil Diptera

Web links

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