Asiloidea
| Asiloidea | |
|---|---|
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| Robber fly (Asilidae) with beetle prey | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Suborder: | Brachycera |
| Infraorder: | Asilomorpha (but see text) |
| Superfamily: | Asiloidea |
| Families | |
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11, see text |
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Asiloidea is a very large cosmopolitan superfamily of Diptera. The former infraorder Asilomorpha is paraphyletic and thus not a natural group; as its type taxon the Asiloidea would still belong there in any case, but current knowledge of brachyceran relationships would make it monotypic: the Cyclorrhapha appear to be the closest known relatives of the Asiloidea.
Though the ICZN does not regulate taxa higher than superfamilies, two approaches to deal with the problem are possible: either the Asilomorpha are abandoned, and the Asiloidea are treated as a member of the basal (i.e. non-Cyclorrhapha) radiation of Brachycera. On the other hand, it might be even more practical to synonymize the Asiloidea with the Asilomorpha and place the asiloid families in the infraorder directly, following the example of the Tabanomorpha.
[edit] Families
Living families of Asiloidea are:
- Apioceridae – flower-loving flies
- Apsilocephalidae
- Apystomyiidae
- Asilidae – robber flies
- Bombyliidae – bee flies
- Hilarimorphidae
- Mydidae – mydas flies
- Mythicomyiidae
- Evocoidae - Ocoa Flies
- Scenopinidae – window flies
- Therevidae – stiletto flies
An extinct family from the Mesozoic are the Protapioceridae.
[edit] References
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Data related to Asiloidea at Wikispecies
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