BRACHYCERA, Muscomorpha Schizophora Acalyptratae, Opomyzoidea

Number of British species: 17

Size: S

Difficulty: 2-3 Panel

Small (2-5 mm), slender, yellow, brown, reddish or black coloured flies. Arista pubescent or with relatively long rays; ocelli present; Ocellar bristles present Postvertical bristles absent; 1 pair of frontal bristles, curving backward scattered interfrontal setulae present; vibrissae absent although Geomyza with a strong bristle near the vibrissal angle. Wing nearly always with an apical spot and/or darkly marked crossveins or marked all over; costa with a subcostal break; vein Sc usually incomplete but apical part sometimes visible as a thin line reaching the costa; crossvein BM-Cu present but usually incomplete; cell cup closed. Tibiae without dorsal preapical bristle.

In view of the larval food plants, i.e., grasses, the adults are mainly found in open habitats. The larvae live in the stems of grasses, a few species being a pest in agriculture.

Drake (1992), Drake (1993), Drake (2001a)