Rhagionidae

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

see text

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

Contents

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.

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.

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ Watson & Dallwitz

References

Further reading

External links