Stink-flies
Guides
Xylophagidae
awl-flies, stink flies
Xylophagidae is a small family of lower brachyceran flies comprising nine extant genera and approximately 135 species. Commonly known as awl-flies or stink flies, these insects are characterized by elongated bodies that resemble ichneumon wasps, with a constricted base of the abdomen and three-segmented antennae. The family occurs across all biogeographical regions except the Afrotropics. Larvae are primarily associated with rotting wood, where many species are predatory on other insect larvae.