Sepsidae

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Sepsidae
Sepsis fulgens01.jpg
Sepsis fulgens (lesser dung fly)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Section: Schizophora
Subsection: Acalyptratae
Superfamily: Sciomyzoidea
Family: Sepsidae
Walker, 1833
Genera

See text

The Sepsidae are a family of flies, commonly called the black scavenger flies or ensign flies. Over 300 species are described worldwide. [1] They are usually found around dung or decaying plant and animal material. Many species resemble ants, having a "waist" and glossy black body. Many Sepsidae have a curious wing-waving habit made more apparent by dark patches at the wing end.

Contents

Many species have a very wide distribution, reflecting the coprophagous habit of most Sepsidae. Some species have been spread over large territories in association with livestock. Adult flies are found mostly on mammal excrement, including that of humans (less often on other rotting organic matter), where eggs are laid and larvae develop, and on nearby vegetation, carrion, fermenting tree sap, and shrubs and herbs.

Many Sepsidae apparently play an important biological role as decomposers of mammal and other animal excrement. Some species may have a limited hygienic importance because of their association with human feces. Others are useful tools in forensic entomology.

Description

Sepsis sp. on grass (video, 59 sec)
Sepsidae mating dance, 4x-slow-motion
Sepsidae mating dance, 2x-slow-motion

For terms, see Morphology of Diptera.
Sepsids are slender flies that resemble minute, winged ants. They are usually black in color, sometimes lustrous, and sometimes with silvery hairs on the thorax. The head is rounded. Sepsids have one or more bristles at the posteroventral margin of the posterior spiracle of the thorax, a character that distinguishes the family from other acalyptrates. The postvertical bristles are divergent or sometimes absent. Up to three pairs of frontal bristles are seen. They have ocelli with ocellar bristles. Vibrissae and palpi are poorly developed. The front legs of the male often have extrusions, spurs, teeth, or other ornamentation. The tibia has a dorsal preapical bristle in most genera. The abdomen is usually constricted in the basal part.

The larva is slender, tapering at the front end, and smooth except for ventral creeping welts. The larva is amphipneustic: it has two pairs of spiracles, one toward the head and one at the tail. The bulbous posterior end with its pair of spiracles distinguishes it from the larvae of other acalyptrates.

The pupa is enclosed within a puparium.

Classification

Sepsidae morphology CurranNAMDiptera312Sepsidae.jpg
Sepsidae morphology

Genera include: [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sciomyzidae</span> Family of flies

The family Sciomyzidae belongs to the typical flies (Brachycera) of the order Diptera. They are commonly called marsh flies, and in some cases snail-killing flies due to the food of their larvae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthomyiidae</span> Family of flies

The Anthomyiidae are a large and diverse family of Muscoidea flies. Most look rather like small houseflies. Most species are drab grey to black. Many Pegomya are yellow, and some members of the genera Anthomyia and Eutrichota are patterned in black-and-white or black-and-silvery-grey. Most are difficult to identify, apart from a few groups such as the kelp flies that are conspicuous on beaches.

<i>Sepsis</i> (fly) Genus of flies

Sepsis is a genus of flies in the family Sepsidae.

<i>Sepsis violacea</i> Species of fly

Sepsis violacea is a European species of flies and member of the family Sepsidae.

<i>Themira</i> Genus of flies

Themira is a genus of flies in the family Sepsidae.

<i>Saltella</i> Genus of flies

Saltella is a genus of flies in the family Sepsidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tachininae</span> Subfamily of flies

Tachininae is a subfamily of flies in the family Tachinidae.

Archisepsis is a genus of flies in the family Sepsidae.

Dicranosepsis is a genus of flies in the family Sepsidae.

Dudamira is a genus of flies in the family Sepsidae.

Lateosepsis is a genus of flies in the family Sepsidae.

Leptomerosepsis is a genus of flies in the family Sepsidae.

Microsepsis is a genus of flies in the family Sepsidae.

<i>Meroplius</i> Genus of flies

Meroplius is a genus of flies in the family Sepsidae.

Ortalischema is a genus of flies in the family Sepsidae.

Palaeosepsis is a genus of flies in the family Sepsidae.

Parapalaeosepsis is a genus of flies in the family Sepsidae.

Paratoxopoda is a genus of flies in the family Sepsidae.

Perochaeta is a genus of flies in the family Sepsidae.

References

  1. ↑ Ang, Y. and R. Meier. (2010). Five additions to the list of Sepsidae (Diptera) for Vietnam: Perochaeta cuirassa sp. n., Perochaeta lobo sp. n., Sepsis spura sp. n., Sepsis sepsi Ozerov, 2003 and Sepsis monostigma Thompson, 1869. ZooKeys 70 41-56.
  2. ↑ Ozerov, A.L. (2005). World catalogue of the family Sepsidae (Insecta: Diptera) (PDF). Zoologicheskiĭ muzeĭ, Moscow.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ozerov, A.L. (1996). "To the fauna and taxonomy of African Sepsidae (Diptera)". Russian Entomological Journal. 4[1995]: 127–144.
  4. 1 2 Ozerov, A.L. (2004). "New genera and species of Sepsidae (Diptera)". Russian Entomological Journal. 12 (4): 399–420.
  5. 1 2 Silva, V. C. (1993). "Revisao da familia Sepsidae na regiao Neotropical. Iii. Os generos Palaeosepsis Duda, 1926, Archisepsis Gen. N. e Microsepsis Gen. N., Chave para os Generos Neotropicais (Diptera, Schizophora)". Iheringia, Série Zoologia. 75: 117–170.
  6. 1 2 Malloch, J.R. (1925). "Notes on Australian Diptera. No. vii". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 50: 311–340.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Duda, Oswald (1926). "Monographie der Sepsiden (Dipt.). I.". Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien. 39(1925): 1–153, 7 pls.
  8. ↑ Ozerov, A.L. (1990). "New data on the fauna and taxonomy of the African Dipterans of the family Sepsidae (Diptera)". Vest. Zool. (in Russian). 1990 (2): 15–20.
  9. ↑ Ozerov, A.L. (1992). "New genus and three new species of sepsid flies (Diptera, Sepsidae) from Vietnam". Zoologicheskii Zhurnal (in Russian). 71: 147–150.
  10. 1 2 3 Robineau-Desvoidy, André Jean Baptiste (1830). "Essai sur les myodaires". Mémoires presentés à l'Institut des Sciences, Lettres et Arts, par divers savants et lus dans ses assemblées: Sciences, Mathématiques et Physique. 2 (2): 1–813. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  11. ↑ Frey, R. (1925). "Zur Systematik der Diptera Haplostomata. II. Fam. Sepsidae". Notulae Ent. 5: 69–76.
  12. ↑ Meigen, J.W. (1830). Systematische Beschreibung der bekannten europäische n zweiflugeligen Insekten. Hamm: Sechster Theil. Schulz. pp. xi + 401 +[3] pp.
  13. 1 2 Ozerov, A.L. (1992). "New data on the neotropical sepsids (Diptera Sepsidae)". Russian Entomological Journal. 1 (1): 81–86.
  14. ↑ Hennig, W. (1965). "Die Acalyptratae des Baltischen Bernsteins und ihre Bedeutung fur die Erforschung der phylogenetischen Entwicklung dieser Dipteren-Gruppe". Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde. 145 (1–215). Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  15. ↑ Fallen, C.F. (1810). Specim. entomolog. novam Diptera disponendi methodum exhibens. Lund: Berlingianis. pp. 26 pp., 1 pl. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  16. 1 2 Pont, A.C. (1987). "Two new genera of West Palaearctic Sepsidae (Diptera)". Entomologica Scandinavica. 18 (3): 265–272. doi: 10.1163/187631287X00124 . Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  17. ↑ Macquart, P. J. M. (1851). "Dipteres exotiques nouveaux ou peu connus. Suite du 4e supplement publie dans les memoires de 1849". Mémoires de la Société (Royale) des sciences, de l'agriculture et des arts à Lille. 1850: 134–294. Retrieved 28 March 2021.

Further reading

Identification

Species lists

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