Carnidae

Definition

A small family of minute flies (Diptera) commonly known as bird flies or filth flies. Adults frequent nests, roosts, and carcasses of birds and mammals; larvae develop in decaying organic matter, including dung and cadavers. The family contains approximately six genera and 93 described species worldwide.

Etymology

From Latin caro, carnis (flesh), alluding to the association of many species with carrion and decaying animal matter.

Example

The genus Carnus, with species such as Carnus hemapterus, is among the most frequently encountered carnids, often found in bird nests where adults feed on nestling blood and detritus.

Synonyms

• bird flies
• filth flies

Related Terms

• Diptera
• Muscidae
• Fanniidae
• Nidicolous
• saprophagous
• carrion ecology
• nest fauna

Usage Notes

Carnidae is treated as a plural noun in formal taxonomic usage (the family Carnidae), though it refers to a single family-level taxon. The common names "bird flies" and "filth flies" are also applied to other dipteran groups, so context is needed for precise identification. Formerly placed near Fanniidae and Muscidae in the superfamily Muscoidea, though familial limits within this group remain under revision.