Flat-footed flies

Definition

A common name for adult flies in the family Platypezidae, referring to their characteristically broad, flattened tarsi (foot segments) and distinctive broad, flat feet. Members of this family are small to medium-sized muscomorph flies in the superfamily Platypezoidea, section Aschiza. The name emphasizes an easily observed morphological trait used in field recognition. Adults are often found in woodland habitats, where males form aerial swarms to attract females; larvae develop in fungi, particularly on decaying mushrooms, bracket fungi, or in fungal-rich rotting wood.

Etymology

From the distinctive broad, flattened tarsi (foot segments) that appear 'flat-footed' compared to the more typical cylindrical tarsi of other flies.

Example

A male flat-footed fly (Platypeza) hovering in a sunlit woodland gap, its broad tarsi visible as it performs its characteristic mating swarm dance above the forest floor where fungal hosts grow.

Synonyms

• Platypezidae

Related Terms

• Platypezoidea
• Aschiza
• Ptilinum
• Puparium
• mycophagy
• Tarsus
• hoverflies
• Syrphoidea
• mushroom flies

Usage Notes

The term is sometimes applied more broadly to other families in the superfamily Platypezoidea (such as Opetiidae, Ironomyiidae, and Lonchopteridae), though specialists increasingly restrict 'flat-footed flies' to Platypezidae proper. The flattened tarsi are a synapomorphy for Platypezidae, making the common name morphologically apt for that family. Do not confuse with 'mushroom flies' in the strict sense (sciarids or phorids), though flat-footed fly larvae share the mycophagous habit.