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Within the family Phoridae is the tribe Termitoxeniinae which live in Termite nests and are amazing in how short their larval life is. The first stage instars moult immediately after hatching, the second stage does not eat and moults shortly after this and the third stage has been completely suppressed, thus the whole larval life lasts less than one hour and in some species only a few minutes. For more information on Coffin Flies see the Phorid Web Page
Hover-flies are some of the most attractive and noticeable flies around, they are also as their name implies incredibly good at flying and hovering. Many Hover-flies are clever mimics of Bees and Wasps (Hymenoptera) though they themselves cannot bite or sting. Volucella bombylans which exists in two forms, a yellow tailed form which looks like Bombus terrestris and a red tailed form which looks like Bombus lapidarius is a fine example. As larva, Hover-flies feed on a great variety of substances, from cow dung (Rhingia campestris), muddy puddles and ditches ( Eristalis tenax the Drone Fly), to living plant material (Merodon equestris the Bulb Fly) and living aphids (Episyrphus balteatus the Marmalade Hover-fly and Syrphus ribesii a common black and yellow wasp mimic). In fact so many Hover-fly larva eat aphids that, like the lady-beetles they are well known as a gardeners friend. Not only are Hover-flies useful because they eat aphids but they are also the second most important group of insect pollinators, after the Bees and Wasps.
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Their are a large number flies which are commonly associated with dung, in the north temperate areas (that's us in England as well as most of Europe and a fair portion of North America) this means mostly cow, horse, pig and sheep dung. The Sepsidae and Borboridae feed on the dung as both larvae and adults and various species from both families will make up most of the small black flies which fly up if you disturb a fresh cow pat. The Scatophagidae are the Dung-flies (i.e. the yellow and grey hairy flies you can find all over grassy fields). The Common Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria is a typical example of this family and though their larva feed on the dung the adults are predatory and feed on other flies which have come to the dung to feed.
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These are the small flies with light red eyes that you find in the kitchen in Summer when ever some fruit has become over ripe, once you get some in your house they tend to fall into your drinks especially beer, wines, cordials and fruit juices. The genus Drosophila contains more than 1 000 species some of which have a two week life cycle and are commonly found in Universities and Colleges around the world where they are used for experiments in the study of genetics and in Pet Shops where they are sold as food for baby Spiders and Preying Mantids.
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The Hippoboscidae are all parasites of mammals and birds, the adults all
feed on fresh blood and after their initial dispersal seldom leave their
host or its nest/lair though most of them are winged and can fly quite
well. The larva live their entire life inside the adult female who 'lays'
pupa which in some bird parasites lies in the nest over winter, hatching
in time to crawl onto the returning adults as they reoccupy the nest. The
adults are nearly all flattened ugly looking things with strong clasping
legs and a crab like gait, i.e. the European Forest Fly Hippobosca equina.
The Streblidae are much the same as the Hippoboscidae except that they
only live on bats, and then only where the winter temperature remains
above 10C. Most them stick their mature larva onto the walls of
the caves they share with their hosts where they pupate rather than dropping them to the
ground.
The Nycteribiidae are the worlds ugliest flies and look more like spiders.
Like the Streblidae they are confined to bats as hosts and they stick their
larva to the surrounds, however they are completely wingless and are
totally dependant on their hosts for transport as well as for food
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| These pages are here free for you to use, I would like to keep them that way, however making and running this site, and the other sites I am currently making or have made, on Birds, Mammals, Insects and Fish and Bacteria as well as all the other invertebrates costs money. There are several simple ways you can help. The first is by using the search engine here, that way you make me 2 or 3 cents a time, not a lot but it adds up.
Or you could buy a copy of my recently published book of poetry. It is called Poetry for All the Family, which describes it perfectly. Although I do publish poetry in the specialised poetry magazines the poetry in this book is specifically designed to be enjoyed by people of every age. Follow the link for more information. It is not expensive and should be thoroughly enjoyable, so if you like it please tell people about it, or better still give it to someone as a present for Christmas of a birthday. |
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