BRACHYCERA, Muscomorpha Schizophora Acalyptratae, Opomyzoidea

Number of British species: 9

Size: S

Difficulty: 2-3

Small (2-5 mm), stout flies body usually grey with dark markings, legs sometimes banded. Arista pubescent; ocelli present; Ocellar bristles present; Postvertical bristles diverging; 3 pairs of frontal bristles, the lower pair curving inward, the other pairs backward; interfrontal bristles absent; vibrissae present. Wing usually clear with markings along the crossveins and near the subcostal break; vein Sc incomplete; crossvein BM-Cu present; cell cup closed. Dorsal preapical bristle on the tibiae often thin, hair-like, in some cases similar to the other hair-like bristles.

The larvae usually live in association with woodboring insects and may be found in tunnels and underneath the bark of deciduous and coniferous trees. The earlier instars feed on exuding juices and insect frass, the later instars prey on other insects living in wood. The adults live in the vicinity of the larval habitats, in particular near tree wounds or on wood-associated mushrooms and bracket fungi.

Cogan (1969), Collin (1952), MacGowan & Horsfield (2002), MacGowan & Rotheray (2002)