Thoracochaeta
Duda, 1918
Species Guides
5- Thoracochaeta arnaudi
- Thoracochaeta brachystoma(lesser dung fly)
- Thoracochaeta johnsoni
- Thoracochaeta seticosta
- Thoracochaeta zosterae(lesser dung fly)
Thoracochaeta is a of small flies in the Sphaeroceridae, commonly known as lesser dung flies. The genus is associated with marine supralittoral , particularly in coastal environments. In the Nearctic region, it has been treated as a subgenus of Leptocera (Leptocera (Thoracochaeta)), with nine recognized. Larvae have been described for at least three species.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Thoracochaeta: /θɔːrəkoʊˈkiːtə/
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Habitat
Supralittoral marine environments—coastal zones above the high tide line, including wrack deposits and shoreline debris.
Distribution
Recorded from the Nearctic region (North America), with distribution records also from Denmark (DK), Norway (NO), and Sweden (SE).
Life Cycle
Larvae have been described for three : Thoracochaeta zosterae, T. seticosta, and T. brachystoma. Details of pupal and not documented in available sources.
More Details
Taxonomic Note
Thoracochaeta has been treated as a subgenus of Leptocera in some classifications (Leptocera (Thoracochaeta Duda)), particularly in Nearctic faunistic works. The is classified in the Limosininae.
Species Diversity
Nine Nearctic were recognized in the 1982 revision, including four species newly described at that time (L. (T.) teskeyi, L. (T.) flaminuta, L. (T.) calminuta, L. (T.) bajaminuta) and one species (L. (T.) zosterae) newly recorded for the region.