Anthomyia

Meigen, 1803

Anthomyia is a of small in the , superficially resembling houseflies but distinguished by conspicuous black-and- patterning on the body. The genus occurs widely in the Palearctic region, with some documented in the Afrotropical region. Several species, including A. pluvialis and A. procellaris, have been recorded from bird nests, where they develop as . The genus contains multiple cryptic or closely related species that require careful examination of male for accurate identification.

Anthomyia by (c) Bernard DUPONT, some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC-BY license.Anthomyia oculifera by (c) Robert Roach, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Robert Roach. Used under a CC-BY license.Anthomyia oculifera by (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Anthomyia: //ænˈθoʊ.miː.jə//

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Identification

within Anthomyia are distinguished from similar by the combination of small size, black-and- patterned and , and specific configurations of the male terminalia. The A. pluvialis in Europe includes five recognized species (A. bazini, A. imbrida, A. pluvialis, A. procellaris, and A. quinquemaculata) that are morphologically similar and require examination of male for definitive identification. The characteristic black spotting on the thorax and abdomen is useful for field recognition of A. pluvialis specifically.

Images

Habitat

Bird nests are a documented for at least two : A. pluvialis and A. procellaris. The occupies diverse environments across its range, though specific microhabitat associations beyond bird nests remain poorly documented for most species.

Distribution

Europe (including the A. pluvialis ), the Old World (A. pluvialis specifically), and Cantabria, Spain (documented for A. procellaris). Distribution records from GBIF include Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Diet

. A. procellaris has been explicitly documented as saprophagous in association with lepidopteran . inhabiting bird nests presumably feed on decomposing matter within the nest environment.

Ecological Role

contribute to decomposition in bird nest .

Sources and further reading