BRACHYCERA, Muscomorpha Schizophora Acalyptratae, Opomyzoidea

Number of British species: 2

Size: T

Difficulty: 3

Minute to small (1-2.5 mm), brownish grey flies. Arista pubescent, ocelli present; Ocellar bristles present; Postvertical bristles strong, far apart, diverging; 3 pairs of frontal bristles, curving obliquely out-backward, increasing in size, the upper pair the largest; scattered interfrontal setulae present; vibrissae absent but with a series of strong bristles near the vibrissal angle. Wing unmarked or tinged along costa; costa with a humeral break only; vein Sc complete; crossvein BM-Cu present; cell cup closed. Tibiae without dorsal preapical bristle.

The larvae of this small family are presumed to feed on rotting organic matter. The adults appear to inhabit woodland and are found on rotting bracket fungi and mushrooms, decaying wood, droppings and carrion; deposition of eggs on a dead snail and carrion has been observed.

Czerny (1928), Séguy (1934)