Flies
Guides
Allopiophila
Allopiophila is a genus of small flies in the family Piophilidae, established by Hendel in 1917. The genus comprises approximately 20 described species distributed primarily across northern and central Europe. Species are distinguished by morphological features including variations in leg coloration, thoracic setation, and abdominal ornamentation.
Anorostoma
Anorostoma is a genus of small flies in the family Heleomyzidae, established by Loew in 1862. The genus contains approximately 17 described species. Members of this family are commonly known as heleomyzid flies and are generally associated with decomposing organic matter.
Anthomyza vulgaris
Anthomyza vulgaris is a species of small fly in the family Anthomyzidae, described by Roháček & Barber in 2016. The family Anthomyzidae comprises minute to small flies typically associated with wetland and riparian habitats. Species in this genus are generally poorly known ecologically, with limited published information on their biology and behavior.
Aphaniosoma
Aphaniosoma is a genus of small flies in the family Chyromyidae, established by Becker in 1903. The genus is particularly diverse in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East, with recent taxonomic work describing 19 new species from this region. Species-level identification relies on detailed examination of male genitalia and other subtle morphological characters.
Atacta
Atacta is a genus of tachinid flies established by Schiner in 1868. The genus contains four described species distributed in the Neotropical region. Like other members of the tribe Goniini, these flies are parasitoids, though specific host associations for Atacta species remain poorly documented.
Azeliini
Azeliini is a tribe of flies within the family Muscidae, subfamily Muscinae. The tribe contains seven recognized genera, including the well-known genera Hydrotaea and Ophyra. Members of this tribe are generally small to medium-sized muscid flies found in diverse habitats worldwide.
Borboropsis
Borboropsis is a genus of small flies in the family Heleomyzidae, established by Czerny in 1902. The genus contains at least four described species distributed across Europe and East Asia. Species in this genus are part of a family commonly associated with decaying organic matter and shaded, moist habitats.
Brontaea
Brontaea is a genus of muscid flies comprising approximately five described species. Species in this genus have been documented in association with bovine feces in pasture environments, where they serve as hosts for parasitoid wasps. The genus has recorded distribution in Europe (Denmark, Norway) and South America (Brazil).
Dryope
Dryope is a genus of flies in the family Dryomyzidae, established by Robineau-Desvoidy in 1830. The genus contains three recognized species. These flies are classified within the order Diptera (true flies) and are part of the subfamily Dryomyzinae and tribe Dryomyzini.
Eccoptomera
Eccoptomera is a genus of small flies in the family Heleomyzidae, first described by Loew in 1862. These flies belong to a family commonly known as 'sun flies' or 'heleomyzid flies,' which are often associated with decaying organic matter. The genus is documented from northern European countries including Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. As with many heleomyzid genera, detailed biological information remains limited.
Helcomyza
Helcomyza is a small genus of flies in the family Helcomyzidae, containing at least three described species. The genus was established by John Curtis in 1825. Species within Helcomyza have been recorded from parts of northern Europe. The family Helcomyzidae is a small group within the order Diptera.
Heleomyzidae
Sun flies, Heleomyzid flies
Heleomyzidae is a family of small to medium-sized flies in the order Diptera, comprising over 740 described species in approximately 76 genera. The family is distributed worldwide, with the greatest diversity in the Holarctic region. Adults are frequently observed at lights in early spring and late fall. Larval ecology is diverse, with many species associated with decaying organic matter, fungi, carrion, or bird nests.
Jenkinshelea
Jenkinshelea is a genus of biting midges (family Ceratopogonidae) established by Macfie in 1934. The genus contains approximately 18 described species, placing it within the tribe Sphaeromiini of the subfamily Ceratopogoninae. Like other ceratopogonids, members are small, blood-feeding or predatory flies, though species-level biology remains poorly documented.
Lauxania albiseta
Lauxania albiseta is a species of fly in the family Lauxaniidae, described by Coquillett in 1898. The specific epithet "albiseta" refers to white setae (bristles), a characteristic feature of this species. Like other members of Lauxaniidae, it is a small to medium-sized fly with distinctive wing venation. The family is primarily associated with decaying plant material and fungal substrates.
Mauromyia
Mauromyia is a genus of tachinid flies established by Coquillett in 1897. The genus contains six described species distributed in North America. As with other Tachinidae, members are parasitoid flies, though specific host relationships for most species remain undocumented. The genus is characterized by distinctive morphological features in the male terminalia.
Melanomyza intermedia
Melanomyza intermedia is a species of lauxaniid fly described by Malloch in 1923. Members of the family Lauxaniidae are small to medium-sized flies, often with patterned wings and yellowish or brownish coloration. The genus Melanomyza occurs primarily in the Holarctic region. Specific ecological details for M. intermedia remain poorly documented in published literature.
Minettia caesia
Minettia caesia is a species of true fly in the family Lauxaniidae, a group commonly known as lauxaniid flies or fruit flies. The species was described by Coquillett in 1904. Lauxaniidae is a moderately large family of small to medium-sized flies, with most species exhibiting dull coloration in shades of brown, gray, or yellow. Members of the genus Minettia are found in various habitats across North America and other regions.
Muscidae
House Flies and Allies, House Flies, Stable Flies
Muscidae is a family of flies in the superfamily Muscoidea containing nearly 4,000 described species across over 100 genera. The family exhibits diverse feeding strategies: adults may be predatory, hematophagous, saprophagous, or feed on plant and animal exudates including sugar, sweat, tears, and blood. Larvae develop in varied habitats including decaying vegetation, soil, carrion, and freshwater. While some species are synanthropic and of medical importance, most species are not associated with human habitation.
Muscoidea
Muscoidea is a superfamily of calyptrate flies (Diptera) comprising approximately 7,000 described species across multiple families including Muscidae, Fanniidae, Anthomyiidae, and Scathophagidae. The superfamily represents nearly 5% of described Diptera diversity. Larvae are predominantly saprophagous, coprophagous, or necrophagous, though some lineages have evolved parasitic, predatory, or phytophagous habits. The monophyly of Muscoidea has been questioned; a 2008 molecular study using nuclear and mitochondrial DNA suggested the group may be paraphyletic.
Mydaea
Mydaea is a large genus of true flies in the family Muscidae, first described by Robineau-Desvoidy in 1830. The genus belongs to the subfamily Mydaeinae and contains numerous species distributed across the Northern Hemisphere. Members of this genus are part of the diverse muscid fly fauna, though specific biological details for many species remain poorly documented.
Mydaea neglecta
Mydaea neglecta is a species of true fly in the family Muscidae, first described by Malloch in 1920. The species belongs to a genus of muscid flies that are widespread in the Holarctic region. Records indicate this species occurs in the northeastern United States, specifically Vermont. As with many Muscidae, detailed biological information remains limited in published literature.
Myospila
Myospila is a genus of flies in the family Muscidae, subfamily Mydaeinae. The genus contains over 150 described species distributed across multiple continents. Species-level taxonomy has been extensively revised, with numerous species described from Asia in recent decades.
Neodexiopsis rufitibia
Neodexiopsis rufitibia is a species of muscid fly in the subfamily Coenosiinae. It belongs to a genus of small to medium-sized flies whose members are often associated with wetland and riparian habitats. The specific epithet 'rufitibia' refers to reddish coloration on the tibiae. Like other Coenosiinae, it is presumed to have predatory or saprophagous larval habits, though direct observations are limited.
Neogriphoneura
Neogriphoneura is a genus of small flies in the family Lauxaniidae, established by Malloch in 1924. The genus contains approximately 11 described species and is primarily distributed in the Neotropical region. One species, N. sordida, extends into the Nearctic region. The genus is characterized by features typical of lauxaniid flies, including distinctive wing venation and facial markings.
Opsodexia grisea
Opsodexia grisea is a species of muscid fly (family Muscidae) in the subfamily Phaoniinae. As with many muscid species, detailed biological information is limited in available literature. The genus Opsodexia contains species typically associated with various habitats across North America.
Phaoniinae
Phaoniinae is a subfamily of true flies (Diptera) within the family Muscidae. All species are classified in the single tribe Phaoniini. The subfamily contains the genus Phaonia and related taxa, which are medium-sized flies often found in diverse terrestrial habitats. Some species groups, such as the P. boleticola-group, have been the subject of recent taxonomic revision in Asia.
Physegenua
Physegenua is a genus of small to medium-sized flies in the family Lauxaniidae, a group commonly known as lauxaniid flies. The genus is restricted to the Neotropical region and contains 11 described species. Like other lauxaniids, these flies are likely associated with decaying vegetation and fungi, though specific ecological details for this genus remain poorly documented. The genus was established by Macquart in 1848.
Physegenua obscuripennis
Physegenua obscuripennis is a species of lauxaniid fly described by Bigot in 1857. The genus Physegenua contains small to medium-sized flies in the family Lauxaniidae, a group characterized by often patterned wings and bodies. Records of this species are sparse, with limited observational data available.
Platypezoidea
Platypezoidea is a superfamily of true flies within the section Aschiza of the suborder Brachycera. Adults lack the ptilinum—a sac-like structure used by Schizophora to emerge from the puparium—and therefore do not possess the characteristic inverted-U-shaped ptilinal suture above the antennae. The superfamily contains five families: Phoridae (coffin and scuttle flies), Opetiidae (flat-footed flies), Ironomyiidae (ironic flies), Lonchopteridae (spear-winged or pointed-wing flies), and Platypezidae (flat-footed flies). Some classifications separate Ironomyiidae, Lonchopteridae, and Phoridae as the distinct superfamily Phoroidea.
Poecilominettia
Poecilominettia is a genus of small flies in the family Lauxaniidae, established by Hendel in 1932. The genus contains more than 60 described species, placing it among the more species-rich genera in its family. Members are found across various regions, though detailed species-level distributions remain incompletely documented. Like other lauxaniid flies, they are associated with decomposing plant matter and fungal habitats.
Pseudocalliope
Yucca Flies
Pseudocalliope is a genus of flies in the family Lauxaniidae, established by Malloch in 1928. Members are commonly known as Yucca Flies. The genus belongs to a family of small to medium-sized flies often associated with vegetation.
Pseudoleria robusta
Pseudoleria robusta is a species of true fly in the family Heleomyzidae, described by Garrett in 1925. It belongs to the subfamily Heleomyzinae within the order Diptera. The genus Pseudoleria is part of a diverse family of flies commonly associated with decaying organic matter and fungal habitats. Very little specific biological information is documented for this particular species.
Psychodomorpha
Psychodomorpha is a nematoceran infraorder of flies comprising three families—Psychodidae, Blephariceridae, and Tanyderidae—plus the superfamily Scatopsoidea (Canthyloscelidae, Scatopsidae, Valeseguyidae). These flies are generally small to minute with hairy or scaled wings and long, often multi-segmented antennae. The group includes moth flies, sand flies, and other obscure dipterans with diverse aquatic and semi-aquatic larval habitats.
Rhytidops
Rhytidops is a genus of flies in the family Ropalomeridae, established by Lindner in 1930. The genus contains at least two described species: Rhytidops chacoensis from Argentina and Rhytidops floridensis from the southeastern United States. Ropalomeridae flies are generally associated with decaying wood and fungal habitats. Very little is known about the biology of Rhytidops specifically.
Sobarocephala
Sobarocephala is a genus of flies in the family Clusiidae, containing more than 110 described species. The genus is primarily distributed in the Oriental and Afrotropical regions, with additional records from Japan, Nepal, and northern Australia. Old World species predominantly belong to the S. plumicornis species group, though representatives of the New World-associated S. flava and S. flaviseta groups also occur. The genus has been documented from Australia, China, Laos, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, and West Africa for the first time in recent taxonomic revisions.
Stenopyrgota mexicana
Stenopyrgota mexicana is a species of fly in the family Pyrgotidae, described by Malloch in 1929. The genus Stenopyrgota is part of the pyrgotid flies, a group known for their distinctive morphology and parasitic larval habits. This species is poorly documented in the literature, with minimal published information on its biology, distribution, or ecology.
Stratiomyomorpha
Soldier Flies and Allies
Stratiomyomorpha is a parvorder of brachyceran flies comprising approximately 3,000 species, dominated by the family Stratiomyidae (soldier flies) with two smaller associated families. The group is characterized by broad morphological diversity ranging from slender to robust body forms. Larvae occupy varied aquatic and semi-aquatic habitats. Adults are often conspicuous, frequently displaying metallic coloration.
Strongylophthalmyiidae
Hardwood Flies
Strongylophthalmyiidae is a small family of slender, long-legged flies containing approximately 80 species across two genera: the monotypic Southeast Asian genus Nartshukia and the cosmopolitan Strongylophthalmyia. The family's phylogenetic relationships remain unresolved, having been variously classified with Psilidae or Tanypezidae. The majority of species occur in the Oriental and Australasian regions, with limited representation in the Nearctic and Palearctic.
Stylogastrinae
Stylogastrinae is a subfamily of flies within the family Conopidae (thick-headed flies). It contains only the genus Stylogaster, comprising unusual species characterized by a highly elongated, needle-like abdomen. These flies have been historically treated as a separate family by some authorities due to their distinctive morphology. The subfamily is relatively poorly known compared to other conopids.
Traginops
Traginops is a genus of small flies in the family Odiniidae, containing seven described species distributed across Africa and Asia. The genus was established by Coquillett in 1900 with the description of Traginops irroratus. Species in this genus are associated with forested habitats and decaying organic matter.
Trisapromyza vittigera
Trisapromyza vittigera is a small fly species in the family Lauxaniidae, originally described by Coquillett in 1902 as Sapromyza vittigera. It belongs to a genus of lauxaniid flies characterized by distinctive morphological features. The species epithet "vittigera" refers to vitta (striped) markings, suggesting patterned wing or body coloration. Like other members of Lauxaniidae, it is likely associated with decaying organic matter and forest floor habitats, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Trypetisoma
Trypetisoma is a genus of flies in the family Lauxaniidae, first described by Malloch in 1924. The genus contains more than 40 described species distributed across multiple continents. Most species descriptions date from the early-to-mid 20th century, with significant taxonomic revisions by Kim in 1994. The genus is part of a diverse family of small to medium-sized flies commonly found in forested and vegetated habitats.
Ulidiidae
Picture-winged Flies
Ulidiidae, formerly known as Otitidae, is a large and diverse cosmopolitan family of true flies (Diptera) commonly called picture-winged flies. Most species are herbivorous or detritivorous, with larvae developing in decaying plant matter, dung, or living plant tissues. The family is characterized by distinctive wing patterns of spots, bands, or lines that serve in species recognition and courtship displays. Approximately 40 genera and 133 species occur in North America north of Mexico, with global diversity exceeding 700 species. A few species, notably Tetanops myopaeformis and Euxesta stigmatias, are recognized agricultural pests.
Xenochaetina
Xenochaetina is a genus of flies in the family Lauxaniidae, established by Malloch in 1923. The genus comprises approximately 11 described species distributed across multiple continents. Lauxaniidae flies are generally small to medium-sized and often associated with decaying vegetation.