Pipunculidae
Pipunculidae Temporal range:
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Verrallia aucta, Chalarinae | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Diptera |
Superfamily: | Syrphoidea |
Family: | Pipunculidae Walker, 1834 |
Subfamilies | |
Synonyms | |
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Pipunculidae is a family of flies (Diptera) commonly termed big-headed flies, a reference to the large (holoptic) eyes, which cover nearly the entire head. The family is found worldwide and more than 1300 species have been described.
The larvae of Pipunculidae develop as parasitoids almost exclusively in Auchenorrhyncha, the exception being the genus Nephrocerus, whose hosts are adult Tipulidae (crane flies). The larvae develop rapidly within the crane flies before pupating in the soil.[1] In all pipunculids there are only two larval stages. Some species are used as biological control agents in rice fields.
Taxonomy[]
Taxonomy as shown at the Tree of life,[2] with modification based on Kehlmaier, Dierick and Skevington (2014).[3] The name Pipunculidae is derived from the type genus Pipunculus which is thought to be derived from Latin pepo for pumpkin, thus pipunculus would mean "little pumpkin", referring to the large heads.[4]
Subfamily
- Genus Chalarus
- Genus
- Genus † Baltic amber Eocene (Priabonian)
- Genus
Subfamily
- Tribe
- Genus Nephrocerus
- Tribe incertae sedis
- Genus †Priabona Florissant Formation, Eocene (Priabonian)
Subfamily
- Genus
- Genus †Metanephrocerus Klondike Mountain Formation,Washington, Eocene (Ypresian) Baltic amber Eocene (Priabonian)
Subfamily Pipunculinae
- Tribe
- Genus Cephalops
- Genus
- Tribe
- Genus
- Genus
- Tribe
- Genus Allomethus
- Genus
- Genus
- Genus
- Genus
- Genus
- Genus
- Genus
- Tribe
- Genus Dorylomorpha
- Genus Tomosvaryella
- Tribe
- Genus Pipunculus
Gallery[]
Typical wing venation of Pipunculidae
Metanephrocerus belgardeae, Protonephrocerinae
Nephrocerus scutellatus,
NephrocerinaeEudorylas ruralis, Eudorylini, Pipunculinae
See also[]
- List of British Pipunculidae
References[]
- ^ Koenig, D.P. & C.W. Young. (January 2007). "First observation of parasitic relations between bigheaded flies of the genus Nephrocerus (Diptera: Pipunculidae) and crane flies of the genus Tipula (Diptera: Tupulidae: Tipulinae), with larval and puparial descriptions of Nephrocerus atrapilus Skevington". Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. Washington DC: Allen Press/The Entomological Society of Washington. 109 (1): 52–65. ISSN 0013-8797.
- ^ Pipunculidae at the Tree of life
- ^ Kehlmaier, C; Dierick, M; Skevington, JH (2014). "Micro-CT studies of amber inclusions reveal internal genitalic features of big-headed flies, enabling a systematic placement of Metanephrocerus Aczel, 1948 (Insecta: Diptera: Pipunculidae)". Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny. 72 (1): 23–36.
- ^ Cameron, H. D. (1974). "The Etymology of the Names Pipunculus Latreille and Dorilas Meigen (Diptera, Pipunculidae)". The Great Lakes Entomologist. 7 (1): 31–32.
External links[]
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Wikispecies has information related to Pipunculidae. |
- Pipunculidae
- Brachycera families