Rhagionidae

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Rhagionidae
Rhagio scolopaceus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Diptera Suborder: Brachycera Infraorder: Tabanomorpha Family: Rhagionidae
Genera
see text

Rhagionidae or snipe flies are a small family of flies containing 21 genera.

[edit] Description

Rhagionidae are medium–sized or large flies with slender bodies and stilt–like legs. The mouthparts are adapted for piercing and many species are haematophagous as adults, while others are predatory on other insects. They are typically brown and yellow flies, and lack bristles. The larvae are also predatory and are mostly terrestrial, although some are aquatic ^[1] Snipe flies in the genus Rhagio are sometimes called "down-looker" flies after their habit of perching head-downward on tree trunks.

[edit] Classification

The family is contained in Brachycera infraorder Tabanomorpha. Atherix Meigen (and related genera) and Vermileo Macquart (and related genera) are now separated from Rhagionidae as Athericidae (Stuckenberg 1973) and Vermileonidae (Nagatomi 1977).

The following six genera occur in Europe ^[2]:

• Chrysopilus
• Ptiolina
• Rhagio
• Spania
• Spatulina
• Symphoromyia

Eight genera occur in the Nearctic ^[3]:

• Arthroceras
• Bolbomyia
• Chrysopilus
• Litoleptis
• Ptiolina
• Rhagio
• Spania
• Symphoromyia

Two genera occur in Japan, Arthroceras and Chrysopilus ^[4].

[edit] References

1. ^ L. Watson and M. J. Dallwitz (2007-04-09). Rhagionidae. British Insects: the Families of Diptera.
2. ^ Rhagionidae. Fauna Europaea. Retrieved on 2007-07-02.
3. ^ Nomina — Diptera: P–S. Nearctica (1998).
4. ^ A Check List of Japanese Insects.

[edit] Further reading

• Bezzi, M. 1928. Diptera Brachycera and Athericera of the Fiji Islands based on material in the British Museum (Natural History). British Museum (Natural History), London. viii + 220 pp.
• Lindner, E 1924-1925.Rhagionidae in Die Fliegen der Paläarktischen Region 4 (20) 1-49. ISBN 3-510-43016-6 Keys genera and species.
• Stuckenberg, B., 1960 Diptera (Brachycera): Rhagionidae. S.Afr. anim. Life 7: 216-308 Keys genera and species.
• Stuckenberg, B.,1965 The Rhagionidae of Madagascar (Diptera). Ann.Natal Mus. 18:89-170. Keys genera and species.
• Leonard, M. D., 1930, A revision of the Dipterous family Rhagionidae (Leptidae) in the. United States and Canada, Memoirs of the American Entomological Society 7:1-181.
• Malloch, J. R. 1932. Rhagionidae, Therevidae. British Museum (Natural History). Dept. of Entomology [eds] Diptera of Patagonia and South Chile, based mainly on material in the British Museum (Natural History). Part V. Fascicle 3. - Rhagionidae (Leptidae), Therevidae, Scenopenidae, Mydaidae, Asilidae, Lonchopteridae. pp. 199-293.
• Nagatomi, A. 1982. The genera of Rhagionidae (Diptera). J. Nat. Hist. 16: 31-70.
• A. Nagatomi & K. Soroida (1985). The structure of the mouthparts of the orthorrhaphous Brachycera (Diptera) with special reference to blood-sucking. Beitr. Ent. 35 (2): 263–368, 480. 
• Use of DNA in forensic entomology

[edit] External links

• Brachycera. Tree of Life Web Project.
• Rhagio mystaceus Rhagio diganostic photographs