Long-proboscid
Guides
Nemestrinidae
tangle-veined flies
Nemestrinidae, commonly called tangle-veined flies, is a family of brachyceran flies comprising approximately 300 species in 34 genera. The family is distributed worldwide but is most diverse in the southern hemisphere. Adults are characterized by distinctive wing venation with numerous crossveins creating a tangled appearance, and many species possess exceptionally long proboscises adapted for nectar feeding from tubular flowers. Larvae are endoparasitoids, with subfamily Trichopsideinae parasitizing grasshoppers and Hirmoneurinae parasitizing scarab beetles.