Celyphidae
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| Family: | Celyphidae
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Celyphidae, commonly known as beetle flies or beetle-backed flies, are a family of flies (Order Diptera). About 90 species are known from the Oriental and Afrotropic biogeographic regions.
Description
Celyphidae are small to medium-sized and easily recognised. The scutellum is enlarged, forming a protective shell over the abdomen, giving them a beetle-like appearance. Also, like many beetles, Celyphidae are often shiny or metallic in color. The wings, when at rest, are folded beneath the scutellar "shell".
Biology
The biology of the family is poorly known. Adults are found in along streams and rivers, and in wet grassy areas. Larvae are saprophagous.
Relatives
Celyphidae is considered by some authors to be the sister taxon of Lauxaniidae (e.g., Griffiths 1972), and has occasionally been considered a specialized lineage arising from within the Lauxaniids. The most recent classifications place this as the sister taxon to Eurychoromyiidae.[1]
Classification
- Genus Acelyphus Malloch - Asia
- Genus Afrocelyphus Vanschuytbroeck - Africa
- Genus Celyphus Dalman - Africa and Asia
- Subgenus Celyphus Dalman - Asia
- Subgenus Hemiglobus Frey - Africa
- Subgenus Paracelyphus Bigot - Asia
- Genus Chamaecelyphus Frey - Africa
- Genus Idioscelyphus Malloch - Asia
- Genus Oocelyphus Chen - Southern China
- Genus Spaniocelyphus Hendel - Africa and Asia
Further reading
- Frey, R. 1941. Die Gattungen und Arten der Dipterenfamilie Celyphidae. Notul. Entomol. 21: 3-16. Keys genera, species.
- Vanschuytbroeck, P. 1959. Celyphidae (Diptera Acalyptratae). Explor. Parc Natl. Garamba Mission H. de Saeger 13: 27-44. Keys genera, species.
- Tenorio, J.M. 1972. A revision of the Celyphidae (Diptera) of the Oriental Region. Trans. R. Entomol. Soc. Lond. 123: 359-453.
- Paap, L. Celyphidae in Soós, Á, Paap, L. (Eds.) 1984 - 1992. Catalogue of Palaearctic Diptera 9 . Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest - Elsevier, Amsterdam: 63-66..
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