Apiocera

Apiocera can be distinguished from similar flies by their elongate body form and sponge-like mouthparts adapted for liquid feeding. The genus is separated into subgenera primarily by geographic distribution and subtle morphological differences in wing venation and genitalia structure. Species-level identification requires examination of male genitalia and wing characters; recent taxonomic revisions provide keys for Australian species. They may be confused with Mydidae, from which they differ in wing venation and larval habitat preferences.

Sandy, arid and semiarid environments including deserts and coastal dunes. Adults are found running on ground near sparse vegetation or feeding on honeydew beneath aphid-infested plants. Larvae of at least one species (A. maritima) inhabit sand near the high-water mark of coastal beaches.

Disjunct distribution across four continents: Australia (nominate subgenus Apiocera), southern Africa (subgenus Ripidosyrma), North America (subgenus Pyrocera), and South America (subgenus Anypenus). Each subgenus is endemic to its respective region.

Adults feed on honeydew from aphid-infested plants and drink from damp sand using sponge-like mouthparts. Flower visitation is rare despite the common name.

Larvae are found in sandy substrates. The only described larval habitat is for A. maritima, which occurs in sand near the high-water mark of coastal beaches. Details of pupation and adult emergence are unknown for most species.

Adults are primarily ground-dwelling, running on sand rather than flying. They have been observed drinking from damp sand. Activity patterns of most species are poorly documented, though at least one Australian species (A. vespera) shows crepuscular or nocturnal tendencies as suggested by its specific epithet.

• MydidaeFormerly included genera now placed in Mydidae; distinguished by differences in wing venation and larval biology (Mydidae larvae are typically wood-boring or soil-dwelling in non-sandy habitats)

The common name 'flower-loving flies' is misleading, as most Apiocera species rarely visit flowers and instead feed on honeydew and ground moisture.

• Diptera
• Apioceridae
• desert fauna
• ground-dwelling
• honeydew feeder
• monotypic genus
• Gondwanan distribution

• BugGuide
• Wikipedia
• GBIF taxonomy match
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Catalogue of Life
• Ebenaceae | Beetles In The Bush
• Redescription of Apiocera clavator with Notes on Its Behavior (Diptera: Apioceridae)1,2
• Review of the Australian <i>Apiocera minor</i> Norris species-group (Diptera: Apioceridae) with a revised key to species