BRACHYCERA, Muscomorpha Schizophora Acalyptratae, Tephritoidea

Number of British species: 13

Size: S

Difficulty: 1 Scheme

Small to medium sized (2.5-7 mm), slender flies varying in colour from pale yellow to reddish, grey or black; some parts of the head often silvery grey to white. Arista bare or with short rays, rays at most twice as long as basal diameter of arista; ocelli present; Ocellar bristles present; Postvertical bristles parallel to somewhat diverging; 1 pair of strong frontal bristles, curving backward, sometimes with a weaker F-bristle in front; scattered interfrontal setulae present, sometimes almost invisible or indeed lacking; vibrissae absent but usually a series of fine setulae present along the lower margin of the genae. Wing often with a pattern, seldom clear; costa weak just beyond crossvein H and with a subcostal break; vein Sc complete; crossvein BM-Cu present; cell cup closed. Tibiae without dorsal preapical bristle, except in Eurygnathomyia.

In some species the larvae live under tree bark where they feed on mycelium or prey on beetles (Carabidae, Cerambycidae and Scolytidae). Larvae of other species live in plants, such as grasses, Apiaceae or the flower heads (inflorescences) of Asteraceae (Compositae); it is unknown whether the species living in plants are really phytophagous, carnivorous, or both. The adults are generally found in shaded habitats often near water. Depending on the larval habitat, the adults are found on flowers, often those of umbellifers, or on tree trunks and leaves.

Cogan & Dear (1975), Collin (1951b), Rotheray & MacGowan (1999)