Apioceridae
Guides
Apiocera
Flower-loving Flies
Apiocera is the sole genus in the family Apioceridae, comprising approximately 150 species of flies commonly known as flower-loving flies. The genus is divided into four subgenera, each restricted to a different continent: Apiocera (Australia), Ripidosyrma (southern Africa), Pyrocera (North America), and Anypenus (South America). Despite their common name, most species do not visit flowers. The family was historically broader, with other genera now transferred to Mydidae.
Apiocera barri
Apiocera barri is a species of fly in the family Apioceridae, first described by Cazier in 1982. The family Apioceridae, commonly known as flower-loving flies, comprises medium to large flies often associated with sandy habitats. As with other members of this family, A. barri is presumed to be a nectar feeder, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented. The species has been recorded in at least 31 observations according to iNaturalist data.
Apiocera chrysolasia
Apiocera chrysolasia is a species of flower-loving fly described by Cazier in 1982. It belongs to the family Apioceridae, a small group of brachyceran flies commonly known as apiocerid flies or sometimes 'flower-loving flies' due to their association with floral resources. The species epithet 'chrysolasia' derives from Greek roots suggesting golden or woolly appearance. Like other members of its family, it is likely associated with arid or semi-arid environments in western North America, though specific details remain poorly documented.
Apiocera macswaini
Apiocera macswaini is a species of flower-loving flies in the family Apioceridae, described by Cazier in 1982. The genus Apiocera is endemic to western North America, with species typically associated with arid and semi-arid habitats. Adults are known to visit flowers for nectar. Very little specific biological information is available for this particular species.
Apiocera painteri
Apiocera painteri is a species of flower-loving fly described by Cazier in 1963. It belongs to the family Apioceridae, a small group of brachyceran flies commonly known as flower-loving flies due to their association with flowers. The genus Apiocera is primarily distributed in arid and semi-arid regions of western North America. Like other apiocerids, this species is likely associated with sandy soils where larvae develop.
Asiloidea
asiloid flies
Asiloidea is a large superfamily of true flies (Diptera: Brachycera) with cosmopolitan distribution. It comprises approximately 11 families including the well-known Asilidae (robber/assassin flies), Bombyliidae (bee flies), Therevidae (stiletto flies), Mydidae (mydas flies), and Scenopinidae (window flies). Adult morphology is characterized by antennae with no more than 4 flagellomeres, leg empodium usually setiform or absent, and wing venation featuring an elongate cell cup with vein CuA2 ending freely or meeting A1 near the wing margin. Larval synapomorphies include posterior spiracles arising dorsally from the penultimate abdominal segment and, in most families except Bombyliidae and Hilarimorphidae, a modified cranium forming a hinged metacephalic rod.
DipteraBrachyceraAsiloidearobber-fliesbee-fliesstiletto-fliesmydas-flieswindow-fliescosmopolitanarid-habitatspredatory-larvaeflower-visitorsparasitoidsbiological-controlAsilidaeBombyliidaeTherevidaeMydidaeScenopinidaeApioceridaeApsilocephalidaeApystomyiidaeEvocoidaeHilarimorphidaeMythicomyiidaeProtapioceridaephylogenysystematicsvenomouspredatorymystaxmetacephalic-roddichopticholopticJurassicCretaceoustherevoid-cladeNamib-DesertCanary-IslandsSaudi-ArabiaDominicaChileGermanyfossilcybertaxonomyopen-accessZooKeysBohart-MuseumWorld-Robber-Fly-Day