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69-404: The Asilidae are the robber fly family, also called assassin flies . They are powerfully built, bristly flies with a short, stout proboscis enclosing the sharp, sucking hypopharynx . The name "robber flies" reflects their expert predatory habits; they feed mainly or exclusively on other insects and, as a rule, they wait in ambush and catch their prey in flight. The Asilidae are a family in

138-708: A raptorial function. The wings are well developed, often relatively narrow for speedy flight; the alula is generally well developed, with the exception of the Leptogastrinae and part of Dasypogoninae. The venation is much as in the Rhagionidae , Tabanidae , and Therevidae; the radial R is always four-branched, with R2+3 unbranched. Details of wing venation determine subfamilies and lower taxa. The wings are most often hyaline, but sometimes smoky or dark colored, or partly infuscated in many genera or completely darkened. The abdomen consists of six to eight visible segments preceding

207-448: A convex profile with a characteristic dense bundle of bristles, called a "mystax". The mystax helps protect the head and face when the fly encounters prey bent on defense. Other bristles are arranged on the ocellar tubercle. The antennae are of the aristate type, composed typically of five segments but sometimes from three to four, depending on the structure of the stylus. The scape and pedicel are generally relatively short and hairy;

276-405: A crucial role in benthic ecosystems, forming essential food chains and participating in the nitrogen cycle . Detritivores and decomposers that reside in the desert live in burrows underground to avoid the hot surface since underground conditions provide favorable living conditions for them. Detritivores are the main organisms in clearing plant litter and recycling nutrients in the desert. Due to

345-465: A food canal, the labrum and a piercing organ, the hypopharynx . The proboscis is rounded in cross section or laterally or dorsoventrally compressed and is usually stout, and straight and sometimes able to penetrate through the hard integument of Coleoptera. The maxillary palpi are at the base beside the labium, two-segmented in all Dasypogoninae or single segmented in Asilinae and Leptogastrinae. The thorax

414-456: A length of up to 7 cm (2.8 in), is generally considered to be the largest fly in the world, while the smallest is Euryplatea nanaknihali , which at 0.4 mm (0.016 in) is smaller than a grain of salt. Brachycera are ecologically very diverse, with many being predatory at the larval stage and some being parasitic. Animals parasitised include molluscs , woodlice , millipedes , insects, mammals , and amphibians . Flies are

483-405: A meal. For visual course control, flies' optic flow field is analyzed by a set of motion-sensitive neurons. A subset of these neurons is thought to be involved in using the optic flow to estimate the parameters of self-motion, such as yaw, roll, and sideward translation. Other neurons are thought to be involved in analyzing the content of the visual scene itself, such as separating figures from

552-401: A mobile head, with a pair of large compound eyes , and mouthparts designed for piercing and sucking (mosquitoes, black flies and robber flies), or for lapping and sucking in the other groups. Their wing arrangement gives them great manoeuvrability in flight, and claws and pads on their feet enable them to cling to smooth surfaces. Flies undergo complete metamorphosis ; the eggs are often laid on

621-604: A much lower rate than other organic molecules. The activity of detritivores is the reason why we do not see an accumulation of plant litter in nature. Detritivores are an important aspect of many ecosystems . They can live on any type of soil with an organic component, including marine ecosystems , where they are termed interchangeably with bottom feeders . Typical detritivorous animals include millipedes , springtails , woodlice , dung flies , slugs , many terrestrial worms , sea stars , sea cucumbers , fiddler crabs , and some sedentary marine Polychaetes such as worms of

690-680: A sword-like ovipositor . Others, for instance Laphria , are fat-bodied bumblebee mimics. Female robber flies deposit whitish-colored eggs on low-lying plants and grasses, or in crevices within soil, bark, or wood. Egg-laying habits depend on the species and their specific habitat; most species lay their eggs in masses, which are then covered with a chalky protective coating. After hatching, robber fly larvae generally seem to live in soil, rotting wood, leaf mold, and similar materials, some being predatory and others detrivorous . Larvae are also predacious, feeding on eggs, larvae, or other soft-bodied insects. Robber flies overwinter as larvae and pupate in

759-438: A variety of hosts. The larvae of the shore flies (Ephydridae) and some Chironomidae survive in extreme environments including glaciers ( Diamesa sp., Chironomidae ), hot springs, geysers, saline pools, sulphur pools, septic tanks and even crude oil ( Helaeomyia petrolei ). Adult hoverflies (Syrphidae) are well known for their mimicry and the larvae adopt diverse lifestyles including being inquiline scavengers inside

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828-485: Is Spilomyia longicornis , which is a fly but mimics a vespid wasp. Flies have a mobile head with a pair of large compound eyes on the sides of the head, and in most species, three small ocelli on the top. The compound eyes may be close together or widely separated, and in some instances are divided into a dorsal region and a ventral region, perhaps to assist in swarming behaviour. The antennae are well-developed but variable, being thread-like, feathery or comb-like in

897-462: Is amphineustic, with two pairs of spiracles , one thoracic and one abdominal. Also, rudimentary and nonfunctional stigmata occur in other abdominal segments. The pupa is naked, as in the majority of the Orthorrhapha, exarate and therefore able to move. The Asilidae are predators , in both the juvenile and the adult stages, and feed on small arthropods, mainly insects. Although predatory forms in

966-415: Is followed by the injection of saliva, whose active components perform two functions: neurotoxins cause paralysis of the victim, while proteolytic enzymes lead to the breakup and liquefaction of internal tissues. In a short time, the predator is able to feed by sucking the internal fluids through the alimentary canal. With regards to interspecific trophic relationships, a large number of reports exists on

1035-407: Is generally elongated, due to the conformation of the long tapering abdomen , however there are also compact species with broad abdomens. The integument is covered with thick hair, especially on the head and thorax and liveries are often showy, with colors ranging from brown to black to grey, sometimes in contrast with other colors such as red and yellow. Frequently they are aposematic , imitating

1104-516: Is lower in forested ecosystems, and where asilids do occur in such environments, they tend to concentrate in the glades and margins. In those conditions, the interrupted canopy leaves space for various species of shrubs and herbaceous plants suited to asilid styles of predation. In general, the biology of the Asilidae is still poorly known, but various authors have studied the population distribution in particular regions and ecosystems. They have classified

1173-547: Is one of the major insect orders and of considerable ecological and human importance. Flies are major pollinators, second only to the bees and their Hymenopteran relatives. Flies may have been among the evolutionarily earliest pollinators responsible for early plant pollination . Fruit flies are used as model organisms in research, but less benignly, mosquitoes are vectors for malaria , dengue , West Nile fever , yellow fever , encephalitis , and other infectious diseases ; and houseflies , commensal with humans all over

1242-492: Is robust and compact. Unlike in other lower Brachycera, it bears long bristles (macrochaeta) useful as taxonomic characters. Bristles of this type are always present on the notopleuron (notopleural bristles) and, in two series, on mesonotum (dorsocentral, supralar and postalar). Other bristles are present on the metanotum (dorsocentral bristles on the ventral episternum and at the apex of the mesoscutellum. The legs are relatively long and strong, with many macrochaetes performing

1311-472: Is smooth or bears microsculptures , which are generally polygonal and visible only in the electron microscope. The larva is apodous, cylindrical, and elongated, more or less flattened dorsoventrally and tapered at the cephalic and caudal ends. The colour is white or yellowish. The head is small, rugged, dark-pigmented and hypognathous, the abdomen is composed of eight apparent urites, with the last two often fused and more or less reduced. The respiratory system

1380-518: Is widely thought to be a member of Mecopterida , along with Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), Trichoptera (caddisflies), Siphonaptera (fleas), Mecoptera (scorpionflies) and possibly Strepsiptera (twisted-wing flies). Diptera has been grouped with Siphonaptera and Mecoptera in the Antliophora, but this has not been confirmed by molecular studies. Diptera were traditionally broken down into two suborders, Nematocera and Brachycera , distinguished by

1449-615: The Jurassic , some 180 million years ago. A third radiation took place among the Schizophora at the start of the Paleogene , 66 million years ago. The phylogenetic position of Diptera has been controversial. The monophyly of holometabolous insects has long been accepted, with the main orders being established as Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera and Diptera, and it is the relationships between these groups which has caused difficulties. Diptera

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1518-1060: The Mecopterida , alongside the Mecoptera , Siphonaptera , Lepidoptera and Trichoptera . The possession of a single pair of wings distinguishes most true flies from other insects with "fly" in their names. However, some true flies such as Hippoboscidae (louse flies) have become secondarily wingless. The cladogram represents the current consensus view. Hymenoptera (sawflies, wasps, ants, bees) [REDACTED] Raphidioptera (snakeflies) [REDACTED] Megaloptera (alderflies and allies) [REDACTED] Neuroptera (Lacewings and allies) [REDACTED] Coleoptera (beetles) [REDACTED] Strepsiptera (twisted-wing parasites) [REDACTED] Trichoptera (caddisflies) [REDACTED] Lepidoptera (butterflies, moths) [REDACTED] Diptera [REDACTED] Mecoptera (scorpionflies) [REDACTED] Siphonaptera (fleas) [REDACTED] The first true dipterans known are from

1587-649: The Middle Triassic (around 240 million years ago), and they became widespread during the Middle and Late Triassic . Modern flowering plants did not appear until the Cretaceous (around 140 million years ago), so the original dipterans must have had a different source of nutrition other than nectar . Based on the attraction of many modern fly groups to shiny droplets, it has been suggested that they may have fed on honeydew produced by sap-sucking bugs which were abundant at

1656-693: The Strepsiptera . In contrast to the flies, the Strepsiptera bear their halteres on the mesothorax and their flight wings on the metathorax. Each of the fly's six legs has a typical insect structure of coxa, trochanter, femur, tibia and tarsus, with the tarsus in most instances being subdivided into five tarsomeres . At the tip of the limb is a pair of claws, and between these are cushion-like structures known as pulvilli which provide adhesion. Detritivore Plant tissues are made up of resilient molecules (e.g. cellulose , lignin , xylan ) that decay at

1725-566: The order Diptera , the name being derived from the Greek δι- di- "two", and πτερόν pteron "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced mechanosensory organs known as halteres , which act as high-speed sensors of rotational movement and allow dipterans to perform advanced aerobatics. Diptera is a large order containing more than 150,000 species including horse-flies , crane flies , hoverflies , mosquitoes and others. Flies have

1794-423: The order Diptera , the true flies. The common name for members of the family is the robber flies. The Asilidae are cosmopolitan , with over 7000 described species . Latreille was the authority for establishing the family in 1802. The Asilidae, together with Bombyliidae and Therevidae , are the most representative families of the superfamily of Asiloidea and they form one of the most characteristic groups of

1863-548: The thorax , bears the wings and contains the flight muscles on the second segment, which is greatly enlarged; the first and third segments have been reduced to collar-like structures, and the third segment bears the halteres , which help to balance the insect during flight. The third tagma is the abdomen consisting of 11 segments, some of which may be fused, and with the 3 hindmost segments modified for reproduction. Some Dipterans are mimics and can only be distinguished from their models by very careful inspection. An example of this

1932-761: The 12th edition (1767). Asilus crabroniformis (1758) is the type of the genus. The rank of family is credited to Leach in Samouelle (1819). Johan Christian Fabricius in five publications dated from 1775 to 1805, erected the genus Damalis and described 76 exotic and European species. Wiedemann , in publications appearing between 1817 and 1830, described 235 species, many exotic. Johann Wilhelm Meigen in an early work of 1803 erected four genera, three of which now represent subfamilies. He also described many species in Systematische Beschreibung der bekannten europäischen zweiflügeligen Insekten (1800 to 1838). During

2001-415: The 19th century, based on the findings of larvae of asilids associated with larvae of other insects, but Melin (1923) asserted that, in reality, predation was occasional and secondary to the plant-based diet. More recent studies have confirmed the entomophagy of some asilids without extending this species' feeding behavior for the whole family. Less certain, however, is the mechanism of entomophagy: in general,

2070-515: The Asilidae the depression on the vertex between the eyes tends to be more obvious than in the Therevidae. The fly attacks its prey by stabbing it with its short, strong proboscis, injecting the victim with saliva containing neurotoxic and proteolytic enzymes which very rapidly paralyze the victim and soon digest the insides; the fly then sucks the liquefied material through the proboscis. Many Asilidae have long, tapering abdomens , sometimes with

2139-795: The Brachycera includes broader, more robust flies with short antennae. Many nematoceran larvae are aquatic. There are estimated to be a total of about 19,000 species of Diptera in Europe, 22,000 in the Nearctic region, 20,000 in the Afrotropical region, 23,000 in the Oriental region and 19,000 in the Australasian region. While most species have restricted distributions, a few like the housefly ( Musca domestica ) are cosmopolitan. Gauromydas heros ( Asiloidea ), with

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2208-1392: The Nematocera. The construction of a phylogenetic tree has been the subject of ongoing research. The following cladogram is based on the FLYTREE project. Ptychopteromorpha (phantom and primitive crane-flies) [REDACTED] Culicomorpha (mosquitoes, blackflies and midges) [REDACTED] Blephariceromorpha (net-winged midges, etc) [REDACTED] Bibionomorpha (gnats) [REDACTED] Psychodomorpha (drain flies, sand flies, etc) [REDACTED] Tipulomorpha (crane flies) [REDACTED] Stratiomyomorpha (soldier flies, etc) [REDACTED] Xylophagomorpha (stink flies, etc) [REDACTED] Tabanomorpha (horse flies, snipe flies, etc) [REDACTED] Nemestrinoidea [REDACTED] Asiloidea (robber flies, bee flies, etc) [REDACTED] Empidoidea (dance flies, etc) [REDACTED] Aschiza (in part) Phoroidea (flat-footed flies, etc) [REDACTED] Syrphoidea (hoverflies) [REDACTED] Hippoboscoidea (louse flies, etc) [REDACTED] Muscoidea (house flies, dung flies, etc) [REDACTED] Oestroidea (blow flies, flesh flies, etc) [REDACTED] Acalyptratae (marsh flies, etc) [REDACTED] Flies are often abundant and are found in almost all terrestrial habitats in

2277-523: The adult stage are present in other taxonomic groups of Diptera, the Asilidae are the most representative for the number of species and for uniformity of feeding behavior (>7000 species, all of which are predatory). The combination of high biodiversity and high predatory activity leads to this family playing an important role in the ecological stability of entomofauna. The life cycle takes place in 1–3 years. The postembryonic development consists of four larval stages ( instars ) and one pupa. The larvae of

2346-519: The antennae and the maxillary palps bear the main olfactory receptors, while the gustatory receptors are in the labium, pharynx, feet, wing margins and female genitalia, enabling flies to taste their food by walking on it. The taste receptors in females at the tip of the abdomen receive information on the suitability of a site for ovipositing. Flies that feed on blood have special sensory structures that can detect infrared emissions, and use them to home in on their hosts, Many blood-sucking flies can detect

2415-400: The behavior is cited as predation, but for some species may be ectoparasitoids. Musso (1983) described the feeding behavior of the larvae of Machimus rusticus : the larvae of the first instar does not feed on insects, those of the second instar feed on secretions by larvae of beetles (and may cause death), while the larvae of the third and fourth instars actually behave like predators. In short,

2484-592: The behavioral patterns in terms of microenvironments, ecological, and trophic factors, showing how different species of Asilidae favour particular habitats suited to particular patterns of reproduction and predation. Specific studies show correlations between the floristic composition and predatory behaviour. Asilidae occur in all zoogeographical regions except Antarctica. In the Northern Hemisphere, some species are even adapted to tundra. Alpine species occur at altitudes exceeding 4000 meters/13,000 feet. However,

2553-405: The detection of prey and their capture. The prey is caught with the tarsi and injected with a paralyzing saliva. The asilid pierces the integument of the prey with the prepharyx (hyopharynx) in preferential points of least resistance such as the eyes, the membranous area of transition between the head and thorax (neck) or between thorax and abdomen, or between the last abdominal tergites . Puncture

2622-404: The differences in antennae. The Nematocera are identified by their elongated bodies and many-segmented, often feathery antennae as represented by mosquitoes and crane flies. The Brachycera have rounder bodies and much shorter antennae. Subsequent studies have identified the Nematocera as being non-monophyletic with modern phylogenies placing the Brachycera within grades of groups formerly placed in

2691-431: The different families. The mouthparts are adapted for piercing and sucking, as in the black flies, mosquitoes and robber flies, and for lapping and sucking as in many other groups. Female horse-flies use knife-like mandibles and maxillae to make a cross-shaped incision in the host's skin and then lap up the blood that flows. The gut includes large diverticulae , allowing the insect to store small quantities of liquid after

2760-431: The family Terebellidae . Detritivores can be classified into more specific groups based on their size and biomes. Macrodetritivores are larger organisms such as millipedes, springtails, and woodlouse, while microdetritivores are smaller organisms such as bacteria. Scavengers are not typically thought to be detritivores, as they generally eat large quantities of organic matter, but both detritivores and scavengers are

2829-468: The family is Araripogon from the Early Cretaceous ( Aptian ) Crato Formation of Brazil.  ? Scenopinidae and Therevidae  ? Mydidae and Apioceridae  ? Asilidae   Bombyliidae Clade showing relationship of Asiloidea Carl Linnaeus (Linné; 1758), in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae , erected the genus Asilus , including 11 species, and added four others in

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2898-527: The feeding behavior of larval asilids can be intermediate between predation and ectoparasitism. Much better known and described in detail is the behavior of adults. In general, predation in adults is concentrated in the hottest hours in open, sunny spaces, while at night, they take refuge in dense vegetation. The Asilidae are excellent flyers, and in most of the family, capture prey in flight. They are often seen stationed to ambush prey at strategic points. This behavior signifies that sight plays an essential role in

2967-514: The first instar differ from other stages in both ethology and trophic regime. The larvae of most known asilids live in the soil or in the case of some taxonomic groups, in rotting organic material, usually wood and the bark of dead trees. With regards to feeding behavior, most of the literature describes Asilidae larvae as entomophagous , but doubts remain about the real nature of the trophic regime and its mechanisms. The entomophagy of some species had indeed been already hypothesized by some authors of

3036-749: The flies, principally in the family Cecidomyiidae (gall midges). Many flies (most importantly in the family Agromyzidae) lay their eggs in the mesophyll tissue of leaves with larvae feeding between the surfaces forming blisters and mines. Some families are mycophagous or fungus feeding. These include the cave dwelling Mycetophilidae (fungus gnats) whose larvae are the only diptera with bioluminescence. The Sciaridae are also fungus feeders. Some plants are pollinated by fungus feeding flies that visit fungus infected male flowers. The larvae of Megaselia scalaris (Phoridae) are almost omnivorous and consume such substances as paint and shoe polish. The Exorista mella (Walker) fly are considered generalists and parasitoids of

3105-482: The genitalia in males, but the eighth segment is sometimes entirely or partially concealed, and terminal forming the ovipositor. It is long and narrow conical in most species, but wide, dorsoventrally flattened and short in bee mimics. In the Leptogastrinae, the abdomen is extremely long and slender. In some tribes, the male undergoes axial torsion of 180°. The egg is hyaline or pigmented and of variable shape from spherical to oval and up to 2 mm in length. The surface

3174-527: The ground using motion parallax. The H1 neuron is responsible for detecting horizontal motion across the entire visual field of the fly, allowing the fly to generate and guide stabilizing motor corrections midflight with respect to yaw. The ocelli are concerned in the detection of changes in light intensity, enabling the fly to react swiftly to the approach of an object. Like other insects, flies have chemoreceptors that detect smell and taste, and mechanoreceptors that respond to touch. The third segments of

3243-661: The head and face when the flies deal with struggling prey ; various Asilidae prey on formidable species including stinging Hymenoptera , powerful grasshoppers , dragonflies and even other Asilidae, in fact practically anything of a suitable size. Some Asilidae do, however, specialize in smaller prey, and this is reflected in their more gracile build. In general, the family attacks a very wide range of prey, including other flies, beetles , butterflies and moths , various bees , ants , dragonflies and damselflies , ichneumon wasps , grasshoppers , and some spiders . They do so apparently irrespective of any repugnatorial chemicals

3312-447: The highest levels of biodiversity are in warm climates; tropical or subtropical and arid or semi-arid regions tend to have the greatest variety of species, followed by areas where rainfall is highly seasonal. The Asilidae currently include over 7500 described species in about 556 genera . Their taxonomy is still under study in the light of new specimens and cladistic analysis. The 14 accepted subfamilies are: The oldest known member of

3381-431: The larval food-source and the larvae, which lack true limbs, develop in a protected environment, often inside their food source. Other species are ovoviviparous , opportunistically depositing hatched or hatching larvae instead of eggs on carrion , dung, decaying material, or open wounds of mammals. The pupa is a tough capsule from which the adult emerges when ready to do so; flies mostly have short lives as adults. Diptera

3450-463: The limited vegetation available in the desert, desert detritivores adapted and evolved ways to feed in the extreme conditions of the desert. Detritivore feeding behaviour is affected by rainfall; moist soil increases detritivore feeding and excretion. Fungi, acting as decomposers, are important in today's terrestrial environment. During the Carboniferous period , fungi and bacteria had yet to evolve

3519-423: The livery of Hymenoptera. The head is free and mobile and dichoptic in both sexes and has three ocelli arranged in a characteristic depression formed by the elevation of the compound eyes . This feature is clearly visible in the front view and is a morphological peculiarity of Asilidae. The occipital region has one or more rows of bristles aligned behind the posterior margin of the eye. The facial region has

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3588-479: The lower Brachycera . Robber flies have stout, spiny legs and three simple eyes ( ocelli ) in a characteristic depression on the tops of their head between their two large compound eyes . They also have a usually dense moustache of stiff bristles on the face; this is called the mystax , a term derived from the Greek mystakos meaning "moustache" or "upper lip". The mystax has been suggested to afford some protection for

3657-419: The nests of social insects. Some brachycerans are agricultural pests, some bite animals and humans and suck their blood, and some transmit diseases. Flies are adapted for aerial movement and typically have short and streamlined bodies. The first tagma of the fly, the head, bears the eyes, the antennae , and the mouthparts (the labrum, labium, mandible, and maxilla make up the mouthparts). The second tagma,

3726-406: The neural ganglia , and concentration of nerve tissue in the thorax, a feature that is most extreme in the highly derived Muscomorpha infraorder. Some flies such as the ectoparasitic Nycteribiidae and Streblidae are exceptional in having lost their wings and become flightless. The only other order of insects bearing a single pair of true, functional wings, in addition to any form of halteres, are

3795-778: The predator. Egg-laying takes place, according to the species, with three different behaviors that relate to the structure and the morphology of the abdomen. Females with an undifferentiated ovipositor release eggs randomly and independently from the substrate. In other cases, however, the abdomen bears a differentiated, specialized ovipositor to lay eggs in the soil or sand, or lay them in cavities within plant tissues. Asilidae generally occur in habitats that are open, sunny, and dry, even arid. They favour open or scattered vegetation, and some species even frequent bare ground. Typical habitats include savannah , forest steppe , open steppe , semi desert , maquis shrubland , and related shrubland types such as fynbos and chaparral . Their biodiversity

3864-667: The prey captured by the Asilidae. Lavigne (2003) has developed a database comprising over 13,000 reports. The prey of Asilidae are predominantly represented by other insects, mostly winged, but several cases in which they have attacked spiders have also been reported. Within the insects, orders that include the most frequent prey of asilids include a wide range of families within the Coleoptera , Hymenoptera , other Diptera , Hemiptera , and Lepidoptera ; prey belonging to various other orders ( Odonata , Neuroptera , Isoptera , Thysanoptera , Blattodea , etc.) are also mentioned. With regards to

3933-432: The prey may have at their disposal. Many Asilidae when attacked in turn do not hesitate to defend themselves with their probosces and may deliver intensely painful bites to humans if handled incautiously. The antennae are short, have three segments, and sometimes bear a bristle-like structure called an arista . Though they are a very characteristic group for such a large family, the Asilidae may easily be confused with

4002-405: The raised concentration of carbon dioxide that occurs near large animals. Some tachinid flies (Ormiinae) which are parasitoids of bush crickets , have sound receptors to help them locate their singing hosts. Diptera have one pair of fore wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres , or reduced hind wings, on the metathorax . A further adaptation for flight is the reduction in number of

4071-407: The related and less widely known family Therevidae . Some points of contrast between the families include that the labium in the Therevidae is not a piercing, predatory organ, but ends in two fleshy labella adapted to the sucking of liquid foods. Again, the Therevidae commonly have fluffy setae above the mouthparts, unlike the stiff chaetae comprising the mystax of the Asilidae. Furthermore, in

4140-697: The rest of the 19th century, significant contributions were made by Hermann Loew in particular. Other prominent authors dealing with the Asilidae during the 19th century included Pierre-Justin-Marie Macquart , Francis Walker , Camillo Rondani , and Jacques-Marie-Frangile Bigot . Flies Housefly (Muscidae) (top left) Haematopota pluvialis (Tabanidae) (top right) Ctenophora pectinicornis (Tipulidae) (mid left) Ochlerotatus notoscriptus (Culicidae) (mid right) Milesia crabroniformis (Syrphidae) (bottom left) Holcocephala fusca (Asilidae) (bottom right) Nematocera ( paraphyletic ) (inc Eudiptera ) Brachycera Flies are insects of

4209-485: The same type of cases of consumer-resource systems . The consumption of wood, whether alive or dead, is known as xylophagy . The activity of animals feeding only on dead wood is called sapro -xylophagy and those animals, sapro-xylophagous. Detritivores play an important role as recyclers in the ecosystem's energy flow and biogeochemical cycles . Alongside decomposers, they reintroduce vital elements such as carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, and potassium back into

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4278-562: The second largest group of pollinators after the Hymenoptera (bees, wasps and relatives). In wet and colder environments flies are significantly more important as pollinators. Compared to bees, they need less food as they do not need to provision their young. Many flowers that bear low nectar and those that have evolved trap pollination depend on flies. It is thought that some of the earliest pollinators of plants may have been flies. The greatest diversity of gall forming insects are found among

4347-416: The soil, allowing plants to take in these elements and use them for growth. They shred the dead plant matter which releases the trapped nutrients in the plant tissues. An abundance of detritivores in the soil allows the ecosystem to efficiently recycle nutrients. Many detritivores live in mature woodland , though the term can be applied to certain bottom-feeders in wet environments . These organisms play

4416-432: The soil. Pupae migrate to the soil surface and emerge as adults, often leaving behind their pupal casing. Complete development ranges from one to three years, depending on species and environmental conditions. Adults are generally medium to large in size, with an average body width of 1 to 1.5 cm (0.39 to 0.59 in), but with a range of 3 mm (0.12 in) to more than 5 cm (2.0 in) in length. The shape

4485-468: The specificity of the trophic relationship, Wood (1981) mentions some studies in the literature on the subject. Some genera have been found to be monophagic, but more generally Asilidae are polyphagic, with behaviors that vary from narrow specialization to broad prey choice. Other studies have shown that the ratio between the size of the prey and the asilid varies from 1.8:1 to 3.7:1, with an average of 2.6:1. The ratio tends to increase with decreasing size of

4554-434: The third segment (or first flagellomere) has an oval or oblong shape, is generally longer than the two basal segments, and bears a stylus generally composed of two segments, of which the basal is very short. In some asilids, the stylus can be monoarticolate or absent. The mouthparts are short and modified for piercing-sucking. They consist of a strongly sclerotized proboscis which includes the labium and maxillae which form

4623-588: The time, and dipteran mouthparts are well-adapted to softening and lapping up the crusted residues. The basal clades in the Diptera include the Deuterophlebiidae and the enigmatic Nymphomyiidae . Three episodes of evolutionary radiation are thought to have occurred based on the fossil record. Many new species of lower Diptera developed in the Triassic , about 220 million years ago. Many lower Brachycera appeared in

4692-473: The world apart from Antarctica. They include many familiar insects such as house flies, blow flies, mosquitoes, gnats, black flies, midges and fruit flies. More than 150,000 have been formally described and the actual species diversity is much greater, with the flies from many parts of the world yet to be studied intensively. The suborder Nematocera include generally small, slender insects with long antennae such as mosquitoes, gnats, midges and crane-flies, while

4761-607: The world, spread foodborne illnesses . Flies can be annoyances especially in some parts of the world where they can occur in large numbers, buzzing and settling on the skin or eyes to bite or seek fluids. Larger flies such as tsetse flies and screwworms cause significant economic harm to cattle. Blowfly larvae, known as gentles , and other dipteran larvae, known more generally as maggots , are used as fishing bait , as food for carnivorous animals, and in medicine in debridement , to clean wounds . Dipterans are holometabolans , insects that undergo radical metamorphosis. They belong to

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