Sphaeroceridae
Guides
Apteromyia
Apteromyia is a genus of small flies in the family Sphaeroceridae, commonly known as lesser dung flies. The genus was described by Vimmer in 1929 and currently contains two recognized species: Apteromyia claviventris and Apteromyia newtoni. Members of this genus are characterized by reduced or absent wings, a trait reflected in the genus name (from Greek 'apteros' meaning wingless and 'myia' meaning fly).
Apteromyia claviventris
Apteromyia claviventris is a small fly in the family Sphaeroceridae, commonly known as lesser dung flies. The genus Apteromyia is characterized by reduced wing venation and small body size. This species has been documented in northern Europe and North America. Like other members of its family, it is associated with decomposing organic matter.
Bitheca boleta
lesser dung fly
Bitheca boleta is a species of lesser dung fly in the family Sphaeroceridae, described by Marshall in 1987. It belongs to the subfamily Limosininae, a group characterized by small size and association with decomposing organic matter. The species is part of a genus with limited documented records.
Copromyza
lesser dung flies
Copromyza is a genus of small flies in the family Sphaeroceridae, commonly known as lesser dung flies. The genus was established by Fallén in 1810 and currently contains 11 described species. Members of this genus are associated with decaying organic matter and dung. The genus is classified within the subfamily Copromyzinae.
Copromyza equina
Copromyza equina is a small dung fly in the family Sphaeroceridae, commonly known as lesser dung flies. The species was described by Fallén in 1820 and has been recorded from several islands in the Azores archipelago. Sphaeroceridae are among the most species-rich families of Diptera, with members typically associated with decaying organic matter.
Copromyza neglecta
lesser dung fly
Copromyza neglecta is a species of lesser dung fly in the family Sphaeroceridae. It is found in Europe, with confirmed records from Norway and Sweden. Like other members of this family, it is associated with dung and decomposing organic matter. The species was described by Malloch in 1913.
Leptocera
Leptocera is a genus of small flies in the family Sphaeroceridae (Diptera), established by Olivier in 1813. The genus includes multiple subgenera with divergent ecological specializations: the nominate subgenus Leptocera contains species associated with decaying organic matter including sewage systems, while the subgenus Thoracochaeta is restricted to marine supralittoral habitats. Several species have been documented as pests in artificial environments. The genus is distributed across multiple biogeographic regions including the Nearctic, with some species recently introduced to North America.
Limosininae
Limosininae is a subfamily of lesser dung flies (Sphaeroceridae) within the order Diptera. The subfamily comprises numerous genera distributed across the New World and Pacific regions, with many species associated with decaying organic matter and specialized microhabitats. Several genera have been described or revised in recent taxonomic work, including Aptilotella, Phthitia, Albistyla, Helicosina, Stipulosina, and Bregmosina. Species within this subfamily exhibit diverse morphological adaptations, with some showing strong associations with specific plant substrates such as bamboo stipules, furled Heliconia leaves, and treefall habitats rich in green leaf litter.
Lotophila
lesser dung flies
Lotophila is a genus of small flies in the family Sphaeroceridae, commonly known as lesser dung flies. The genus was established by Lioy in 1864 and contains at least three described species distributed across Europe and the Oriental Region. Species are found in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the United States (Vermont), Vietnam, Nepal, and Thailand. The genus includes Lotophila atra (Meigen, 1830), Lotophila nepalensis Hayashi, 1991, and Lotophila vietnamica Hayashi, 2003.
Lotophila atra
Lotophila atra is a species of lesser dung fly in the family Sphaeroceridae, distributed across the Palearctic region. The species is characterized by its small size and association with decaying organic matter. Larvae develop in moist, decomposing substrates where they feed on microorganisms.
Mesosphaerocera
Mesosphaerocera is a genus of small flies in the family Sphaeroceridae, commonly known as lesser dung flies. The genus was established by Kim in 1972 and forms part of a distinct supergeneric group alongside Parasphaerocera, Neosphaerocera, Afromyia, and Sphaerocera. Members of this genus are characterized by their placement within the Sphaerocerinae subfamily. The genus remains poorly documented in public sources, with species-level information not readily available.
Mesosphaerocera annulicornis
Mesosphaerocera annulicornis is a species of small dung fly in the family Sphaeroceridae, originally described by Malloch in 1913 under the genus Sphaerocera. The species epithet 'annulicornis' refers to ringed or banded antennae, a characteristic morphological feature. It belongs to a genus of minute flies associated with decaying organic matter. The species has been documented through limited observations, with nine records on iNaturalist.
Minilimosina
lesser dung flies
Minilimosina is a genus of small flies in the family Sphaeroceridae, commonly known as lesser dung flies. The genus was established by Roháček in 1983 and contains more than 70 described species distributed across all continents except Antarctica. Species have been documented from diverse habitats including mammal burrows and have been the subject of recent taxonomic revisions, particularly in China where 16 species are recorded.
Nearcticorpus
Nearcticorpus is a genus of small flies in the family Sphaeroceridae, commonly known as lesser dung flies. The genus was described in 1982 by Roháček and Marshall. It contains two known species, both described from the Nearctic region. The genus name reflects its geographic distribution.
Norrbomia fulvipennis
A small dung fly in the family Sphaeroceridae, described in 1992 from material collected in Costa Rica. The species epithet refers to the tawny or yellowish-brown coloration of the wings. Sphaeroceridae are commonly known as lesser dung flies and are associated with decaying organic matter.
Norrbomia sordida
Norrbomia sordida is a species of small dung fly in the family Sphaeroceridae, originally described as Copromyza sordida by Zetterstedt in 1847. The species has undergone taxonomic revision, with some authorities placing it in the genus Borborillus as B. sordidus. It is known from Hawaii and represents one of the few documented occurrences of this genus in the Pacific region. Sphaeroceridae are among the smallest true flies and are primarily associated with decomposing organic matter.
Opalimosina mirabilis
lesser dung fly
Opalimosina mirabilis is a species of lesser dung fly in the family Sphaeroceridae, originally described as Limosina mirabilis by Collin in 1902. The species belongs to a genus of small flies commonly associated with decaying organic matter. It has been recorded from the Azores (Faial, Flores, São Miguel) as well as Denmark and Norway.
Parasphaerocera
lesser dung flies
Parasphaerocera is a genus of small flies in the family Sphaeroceridae, commonly known as lesser dung flies. The genus was established by Spuler in 1924 and is classified within the subfamily Sphaerocerinae. Members of this genus are associated with decomposing organic matter. The genus is rarely encountered, with limited observational records.
Poecilosomella angulata
lesser dung fly
Poecilosomella angulata is a species of lesser dung fly in the family Sphaeroceridae. It has been recorded as a host for the parasitoid wasp Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae in Brazil, where it develops in cattle manure. The species is known from South Africa and Brazil based on available distribution records.
Pterogramma palliceps
Pterogramma palliceps is a species of lesser dung fly (family Sphaeroceridae) described by Johnson in 1915. The species belongs to the subfamily Limosininae, a diverse group of small flies commonly associated with decaying organic matter. It is one of approximately 20 described species in the genus Pterogramma.
Robustagramma
lesser dung flies
Robustagramma is a genus of small flies in the family Sphaeroceridae (lesser dung flies), established in 2005 by Marshall & Cui. It comprises 54 species arranged in 8 species groups, of which 52 were described as new in the original monograph. The genus is distributed from Canada to Argentina and represents a distinctive clade within the subfamily Limosininae.
Spelobia
lesser dung flies
Spelobia is a genus of small flies in the family Sphaeroceridae (lesser dung flies), established by Spuler in 1924. Species in this genus are terricolous, inhabiting the leaf-litter stratum of forest ecosystems. Some species, such as Spelobia polymorpha from Madeira, exhibit poor flying ability and have become island endemics. The genus is distributed across Europe including Scandinavia and has been introduced to other regions.
Spelobia maculipennis
lesser dung fly
Spelobia maculipennis is a species of lesser dung fly in the family Sphaeroceridae. The species was originally described as Leptocera maculipennis by Spuler in 1925. As a member of the Sphaeroceridae, it belongs to a family of small flies commonly associated with decaying organic matter and dung. The genus Spelobia comprises numerous species of small dung flies distributed across various regions.
Spelobia ochripes
lesser dung fly
Spelobia ochripes is a species of lesser dung fly in the family Sphaeroceridae, first described by Meigen in 1830. Originally placed in the genus Borborus, it was later transferred to Spelobia. The species is known from Scandinavian countries including Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. As with other Sphaeroceridae, it is associated with dung and decaying organic matter.
Spelobia typhlops
Spelobia typhlops is a species of lesser dung fly described by Richards in 1965. It belongs to the family Sphaeroceridae, a group of small flies commonly associated with decaying organic matter. The species epithet "typhlops" (Greek for "blind") may allude to reduced eyes or subterranean habits, though this has not been confirmed in published sources. Like other members of Spelobia, it likely inhabits moist, decomposing substrates. Published biological data for this species remains limited.
Telomerina
Telomerina is a genus of small flies in the family Sphaeroceridae, commonly known as lesser dung flies. The genus was established by Roháček in 1983 and contains approximately 15 described species. Species have been recorded from northern Europe including Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The genus belongs to the subfamily Limosininae within the sphaerocerid flies.
Telomerina flavipes
lesser dung fly
Telomerina flavipes is a species of lesser dung fly in the family Sphaeroceridae, a group of small Diptera commonly associated with decomposing organic matter. The species was first described by Johann Wilhelm Meigen in 1830 under the name Borborus flavipes. It is currently known from scattered records in northern Europe including Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. As a member of Sphaeroceridae, it likely inhabits environments rich in decaying plant or animal material, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Thoracochaeta
Thoracochaeta is a genus of small flies in the family Sphaeroceridae, commonly known as lesser dung flies. The genus is associated with marine supralittoral habitats, particularly in coastal environments. In the Nearctic region, it has been treated as a subgenus of Leptocera (Leptocera (Thoracochaeta)), with nine species recognized. Larvae have been described for at least three species.
Thoracochaeta arnaudi
Thoracochaeta arnaudi is a species of small fly in the family Sphaeroceridae, commonly known as lesser dung flies. It was described by Richards in 1963. The genus Thoracochaeta is characterized by distinctive thoracic chaetotaxy (bristle arrangement). Members of this family are generally associated with decomposing organic matter.
Thoracochaeta brachystoma
lesser dung fly
Thoracochaeta brachystoma is a small fly in the family Sphaeroceridae, commonly known as lesser dung flies. It inhabits marine supralittoral environments along sea coasts, where larvae develop in seaweed. The species occurs in both the Palearctic and Nearctic regions.
Thoracochaeta seticosta
Thoracochaeta seticosta is a species of small dung fly in the family Sphaeroceridae, originally described as Leptocera seticosta by Spuler in 1925. It belongs to the subgenus Thoracochaeta, a group associated with marine supralittoral habitats. The larvae have been formally described, distinguishing it from many related species where immature stages remain unknown. The species occurs in Europe and has been recorded in the Nearctic region.
Thoracochaeta zosterae
lesser dung fly
Thoracochaeta zosterae is a small dung fly in the family Sphaeroceridae. It inhabits coastal marine environments, where larvae develop in seaweed. The species was originally described from the Palearctic and has been recorded in the Nearctic region. It is part of a subgenus specialized for supralittoral habitats.
Trachyopella
Trachyopella is a genus of small flies in the family Sphaeroceridae, commonly known as lesser dung flies. The genus was established by Duda in 1918 and currently includes approximately 30 described species divided into two subgenera: Trachyopella and Nudopella. Species within this genus have been recorded from Europe, North America, and parts of Asia and Oceania.