Dung mosquitoes
| Dung mosquitoes | ||||||||||||
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Reichertella geniculata |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Scatopsidae | ||||||||||||
| Newman , 1834 | ||||||||||||
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The dung mosquitoes (Scatopsidae) are a family of the two-winged (Diptera) and belong to the mosquitoes (Nematocera). Around 350 species of this group of animals live worldwide, 35 of which are known from Germany. They are small to medium-sized mosquitoes.
features
The dung mosquitoes have a completely hairless body and do not bite. They are mainly found near manure sites and toilets. The species Scatopse notata is widespread worldwide ( cosmopolitan ) and can often be found in apartments by the window panes. Other species often live on umbellate flowers.
development
The larvae of the dung mosquito are found mainly on manure ( coprophagia ), under bark, in mushrooms, under fallen leaves or in dead wood . They are often sociable and are characterized by the posterior openings of the trachea standing on longer tubes . The larvae of Holoplagia transversalis live as ant guests in the structures of Formica species. Scatops notata larvae are occasionally harmful to mushroom farms based on horse manure. Pupation takes place at the feeding places, most of the pupa is surrounded by the last larval skin. The doll breathes through prothoracic breathing tubes (breast squirrels), which are branched.
Fossil evidence
Fossil evidence of this family is rare. Dung mosquitoes found in Cretaceous Canadian and Siberian amber are the oldest fossil members of this family. In addition, manure mosquitoes are known from various tertiary amber deposits , including representatives of the still existing genus Scatopse in Baltic and Mexican amber .
swell
- ↑ George O. Poinar, Jr .: Life in Amber. Stanford University Press, Stanford (Cal.) 1992, ISBN 0-8047-2001-0 .
literature
- A. Brauns: Terricole Diptera larvae. Studies on applied soil biology. Volume 1, Göttingen 1954.
- P. Freeman, RP Lane: Bibionid and Scatopsid flies. Diptera: Bibionidae and Scatopsidae .. In: Handb Ident British Insects. 9 (7), London, 1985
- K. Honomichl, H. Bellmann: Biology and ecology of the insects. CD-ROM. Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart 1994.
