Frit-flies
Guides
Aphanotrigonum
Aphanotrigonum is a genus of frit flies in the family Chloropidae, established by Duda in 1932. The genus contains at least two described species: A. darlingtoniae and A. scabrum. These small flies belong to the subfamily Oscinellinae and tribe Incertellini.
Ceratobarys
Ceratobarys is a monotypic genus of frit flies in the family Chloropidae, established by Coquillett in 1898. The genus contains a single described species, Ceratobarys eulophus. Chloropidae are commonly known as grass flies or frit flies, though specific ecological details for this genus remain poorly documented.
Cetema
Cetema is a genus of small flies in the family Chloropidae, established by Hendel in 1907. The genus belongs to the tribe Cetematini within the subfamily Chloropinae. Species in this genus are found in Europe and the Nearctic region, with documented occurrences in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
Dasyopa
Dasyopa is a genus of small flies in the family Chloropidae, established by Malloch in 1918. As members of the frit fly family, these insects are part of a diverse group containing over 160 described genera. The genus is classified within the subfamily Oscinellinae and tribe Siphonellini. Very few observations of this genus exist in public databases.
Eribolus
frit flies
Eribolus is a genus of frit flies in the family Chloropidae, established by Becker in 1910. The genus contains at least four described species distributed across North America and Europe. These small flies belong to the tribe Oscinisomatini within the subfamily Oscinellinae. Available information on their biology and ecology remains limited.
Malloewia
frit flies
Malloewia is a genus of small frit flies in the family Chloropidae, established by Sabrosky in 1980. The genus contains approximately eight described species, most originally described by Becker in 1912. These flies belong to the subfamily Oscinellinae and tribe Incertellini. The genus name honors dipterist John Russell Malloch.
Meromyza
grass flies, frit flies
Meromyza is a genus of grass flies (Diptera: Chloropidae) distributed across the Palaearctic, Nearctic, and parts of Asia including China and Mongolia. Species within this genus are primarily associated with grasses (Poaceae), with many developing on wild grass species and several recognized as pests of cereal crops including wheat, barley, and oats. The genus exhibits varying degrees of host plant specialization, from oligophagous species with broad grass host ranges to monophagous specialists. Larvae are stem-borers that feed internally on host plant tissues, with some species causing economically significant damage to small grains.
Monochaetoscinella
Monochaetoscinella is a genus of small flies in the family Chloropidae, established by Duda in 1930. As a member of the subfamily Oscinellinae, it belongs to a group of grass flies that are generally poorly studied. The genus is distinguished by specific chaetotaxy (bristle arrangement) features, particularly the reduction in dorsocentral bristles. Species-level taxonomy and biology remain largely undocumented in accessible literature.
Olcella
frit flies
Olcella is a genus of small frit flies in the family Chloropidae, subfamily Oscinellinae. The genus contains approximately 11 described species with highest diversity in South America, particularly Argentina. Several Nearctic species have been documented engaging in kleptoparasitism, feeding on prey fluids from insects captured by predators such as spiders, assassin bugs, and mantids. Species in this genus possess a long geniculate (elbowed) proboscis that facilitates feeding on exposed fluids without disturbing the predator.
Opetiophora
Opetiophora is a genus of small flies in the family Chloropidae (frit flies or grass flies), established by Loew in 1872. Members of this genus belong to the subfamily Oscinellinae, a diverse group within Chloropidae. The genus is poorly documented in scientific literature, with minimal species-level descriptions and few verified observations. Like other chloropids, these flies are likely associated with grassland or wetland habitats where their larvae develop in plant tissues or decaying organic matter.
Oscinisoma
Oscinisoma is a genus of frit flies in the family Chloropidae, first described by Lioy in 1864. The genus comprises approximately eight described species. These small flies belong to the tribe Oscinisomatini within the subfamily Oscinellinae. Very little is known about the biology and ecology of this poorly studied genus.
Parectecephala maculiceps
Parectecephala maculiceps is a species of frit fly in the family Chloropidae, described by Becker in 1912. The genus Parectecephala comprises small flies associated with grassland and wetland habitats. This species is poorly documented, with only two observations recorded on iNaturalist. Like other chloropids, it likely has a close ecological association with grasses or sedges.
Rhopalopterum
frit flies
Rhopalopterum is a genus of small frit flies in the family Chloropidae, established by Duda in 1929. The genus contains approximately 10 described species distributed primarily in the Holarctic region. Species within this genus are morphologically similar to other chloropids, with most described during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The genus is taxonomically placed within the subfamily Oscinellinae and tribe Oscinisomatini.