| Beris | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Beris vallata | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Stratiomyidae |
| Subfamily: | Beridinae |
| Genus: | Beris Latreille, 1802 [1] |
| Type species | |
| Musca chalybata | |
| Synonyms | |
Beris is a genus of flies in the family Stratiomyidae. [6] [7] [8] They are also referred to as the false soldier fly. As described by Latreille in 1802, these are small to medium sized flies with metallic colors.
| Domain | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Arthropoda |
| Class | Insecta |
| Order | Dipteria |
| Family | Stratiomyidae |
| Subfamily | Beridinae |
| Genus | Beris |
These are flies with elongated bodies and reduced palpi. The scutellum typically features spines and the abdomen has seven visible segments. They are characterized as having black or metallic green thorax, black or orange abdomen and darkened wings in some species. [9]
Soldier flies are primarily found in tropical regions but are widespread globally. The larvae are scavengers, inhabiting decaying organic matter, wet moss, compost, and aquatic environments. Adults are typically found near larval habitats, frequenting flowers and forming swarms. [10] These swarms are normally observed around foliage near mountain valleys, marshes, and damp places. [11]
Bright, metallic colored species sometimes resemble wasps or bees. The wing venation is a strongly specific characteristic of the family, with interior veins and a small discal cell in the anterior half of the wing. [12] The antennae show structural variations, and the scutellum is equipped with spines.
The larval body is flat with a strongly sclerotized head capsule, three thoracic and about 8 abdominal body segments. The cuticle has a honeycomb-like appearance due to calcium carbonate secretions. The mandibles and maxillae are fused together, forming two distinct mandibular-maxillary complexes. These complexed move alternately in a vertical plain. Terrestrial larvae are elongated and oval with a rounded abdominal end, while aquatic or semi-aquatic larvae have a tapering posterior end with a crown of hydrofuge hair. [12]
The larvae are not predatory or parasitic. They feed on detritus, while their specialized mouthparts serve as sweeping apparatus. Aquatic larvae feed on decaying leaves, micro-organisms and detritus, while the Oxycera larvae feed on algae on moist rocks. [13] Some adults are nectar feeders, indicated by an elongated proboscis and narrow labella, however, most of the species have a relatively short proboscis with a large fleshy labella which consume pollen grains and honeydew. [14] [15]
In general, male flies in the genus Beris tend to be slightly smaller in size compared to females. Their eyes are contiguous in the male. [16] The coloration of the body and wings can vary between species and exhibit sexual dimorphism
In temperate regions, the life cycle is annual. The larvae may hibernate several times. The eggs are usually pale yellow and elongated. The female is capable of laying 600 or more eggs per batch. Pupation takes place within the final larval skin, or puparium. The pupa is much smaller than puparium since the remaining space is filled with air to allow floatation upon the water's surface. [17]
The soldier flies are a family of flies. The family contains over 2,700 species in over 380 extant genera worldwide. Larvae are found in a wide array of locations, mostly in wetlands, damp places in soil, sod, under bark, in animal excrement, and in decaying organic matter. Adults are found near larval habitats. They are diverse in size and shape, though they commonly are partly or wholly metallic green, or somewhat wasplike mimics, marked with black and yellow or green and sometimes metallic. They are often rather inactive flies which typically rest with their wings placed one above the other over the abdomen.
Rhagionidae or snipe flies are a small family of flies. They get their name from the similarity of their often prominent proboscis that looks like the beak of a snipe.
Rhagio is a worldwide genus of predatory snipe flies. Several species in this genus are referred to as downlooker or down-looker flies because they sometimes perch on tree trunks in a head-down position. There are approximately 170 species. They can be distinguished from other rhagionids by the open anal cell on the wings and the lack of a kidney-shaped arista.
Athericidae is a small family of flies known as water snipe flies or ibis flies. They used to be placed in the family Rhagionidae, but were removed by Stuckenberg in 1973. They are now known to be more closely related to Tabanidae. Species of Athericidae are found worldwide.
Actina chalybea is a species of 'soldier flies' belonging to the family Stratiomyidae subfamily Beridinae.
Oxycera is a genus of flies in the family Stratiomyidae.
Clitellaria is a genus of flies in the family Stratiomyidae.
Chorisops is a genus of flies in the family Stratiomyidae.
Actina is a genus of flies in the family Stratiomyidae.
Beridinae is a subfamily of soldier flies in the family Stratiomyidae.
Solva is a fly genus in the family Xylomyidae, the "wood soldier flies".
Xylomya is a fly genus in the family Xylomyidae, the "wood soldier flies".
Allognosta is a genus of soldier flies in the family Stratiomyidae.
Culcua is a genus of flies in the family Stratiomyidae. that are found only in the Indomalayan realm. About eleven species have been described. They have a disc-shaped flagellum to the antenna and have a arista or hair arising from it. The scutellum typically has four strong spines and the abdomen is nearly spherical
Ptilocera is a genus of flies in the family Stratiomyidae.
Atrichops is a genus of flies in the family Athericidae.
Suragina is a genus of flies in the family Athericidae.