Tanypezidae

Tanypezidae is a small family of medium-sized true flies (Diptera) found in the Nearctic Palaearctic and Neotropic zoogeographic regions. Some species have luminous silver or gold coloration.

Taxonomy

There are about 21 species of Tanypezids in six genera. The genera can be seen in the box to the right. Polphopeza, Tripolphopeza, and Tritanypeza were all described by Enderlein as subgenera of Neotanypeza, but some authorities treat them as distinct genera. Two somewhat common species are Neotanypeza elegans (Wiedemann, 1830) and Tanypeza longimana Fallén, 1820

Biology

Very little is known about the biology of the family. Tanypezids can be found in damp forests.

Family Description

For terms see Morphology of Diptera

These flies are medium-sized flies (5 to 7 mm long), slender and long-legged and sometimes with patches of metallic tomentum on the body.The head is hemispherical. The eyes of the male are close-set on he frons The postvertical bristles are divergent. Vibrissae are absent.The costa has one interruption near the subcosta. The end of the costa is separated from end ofR1. R4+5 and M1+2 converge toward the wing apex. See

Identification

• Hennig. 1941. Tanypezidae.In: Lindner, E. (Ed.). Die Fliegen der palaearktischen Region 5,44, 1-6.. Keys to Palaearctic species but now needs revision (in German).
• Séguy, E. (1934) Diptères: Brachycères. II. Muscidae acalypterae, Scatophagidae. Paris: Éditions Faune de France 28. virtuelle numérique
• Shtakel'berg, A.A. Family Tanypezidae in Bei-Bienko, G. Ya, 1988 Keys to the insects of the European Part of the USSR Volume 5 (Diptera) Part 2 English edition.Keys to Palaearctic species but now needs revision

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tanypezidae.

• Family Tanypezidae at EOL
• Diptera.info images
• Wing venation
• Picture of a Tanypeza sp.
• World list