Spelobia
Spuler, 1924
lesser dung flies
Species Guides
3- Spelobia maculipennis(lesser dung fly)
- Spelobia ochripes(lesser dung fly)
- Spelobia typhlops
Spelobia is a of small flies in the Sphaeroceridae (lesser dung flies), established by Spuler in 1924. in this genus are terricolous, inhabiting the leaf-litter stratum of forest . Some species, such as Spelobia polymorpha from Madeira, exhibit poor flying ability and have become island endemics. The genus is distributed across Europe including Scandinavia and has been introduced to other regions.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Spelobia: //spɛˈloʊ.bi.ə//
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Images
Habitat
Leaf-litter stratum of forest ; specifically documented from original laurel forests (Laurisilva) on Madeira. are terricolous, living within the soil-litter interface rather than on exposed surfaces.
Distribution
Europe: documented from Denmark, Norway, Sweden; Macaronesia: present on Madeira (Portugal). GBIF records indicate presence in Scandinavia and potentially wider European distribution.
Behavior
Poor flying ability has been documented in at least some , contributing to island in Macaronesian .
Similar Taxa
- PullimosinaBoth belong to Limosininae and share terricolous habits in leaf-litter ; co-occur in Madeiran laurel forests. Distinguished by generic-level morphological characters in Sphaeroceridae.
More Details
Endemic diversification
Macaronesian of Spelobia show no close relationships with Sphaeroceridae from other Macaronesian archipelagos (Canary Islands, Azores), which belong to different of Limosininae, suggesting independent and speciation events.