RHAGIONIDAE

'Rhagionidae' or 'snipe flies' are a small family of flies containing 21 genera.
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Contents

Description

Classification

References

Further reading

External links

Description

Rhagionidae are medium–sized or large flies with slender bodies and stilt–like legs. The mouthparts are adapted for piercing and many species are haematophagous as adults, while others are predatory on other insects. They are typically brown and yellow flies, and lack bristles. The larvae are also predatory and are mostly terrestrial, although some are aquatic ^[1]

Classification

The family is contained in Brachycera infraorder Tabanomorpha. ''Atherix'' Meigen (and related genera) and ''Vermileo'' Macquart (and related genera) are now separated from Rhagionidae as Athericidae (Stuckenberg 1973) and Vermileonidae (Nagatomi 1977).
The following six genera occur in Europe ^[2]:

★ ''Chrysopilus''

★ ''Ptiolina''

★ ''Rhagio''

★ ''Spania''

★ ''Spatulina''

★ ''Symphoromyia''
Eight genera occur in the Nearctic ^[3]:

★ ''Arthroceras''

★ ''Bolbomyia''

★ ''Chrysopilus''

★ ''Litoleptis''

★ ''Ptiolina''

★ ''Rhagio''

★ ''Spania''

★ ''Symphoromyia''
Two genera occur in Japan, ''Arthroceras'' and ''Chrysopilus'' ^[4].

References

1. Rhagionidae L. Watson and M. J. Dallwitz
2. Rhagionidae
3. Nomina — Diptera: P–S
4. A Check List of Japanese Insects

Further reading

★ Bezzi, M. 1928. ''Diptera Brachycera and Athericera of the Fiji Islands based on material in the British Museum (Natural History).'' British Museum (Natural History), London. viii + 220 pp.

★ Lindner, E 1924-1925.Rhagionidae in Die Fliegen der Paläarktischen Region 4 (20) 1-49. ISBN 3-510-43016-6 Keys genera and species.

★ Stuckenberg, B., 1960 Diptera (Brachycera): Rhagionidae. ''S.Afr. anim. Life'' 7: 216-308 Keys genera and species.

★ Stuckenberg, B.,1965 The Rhagionidae of Madagascar (Diptera). ''Ann.Natal Mus.'' 18:89-170. Keys genera and species.

★ Leonard, M. D., 1930, A revision of the Dipterous family Rhagionidae (Leptidae) in the. United States and Canada, ''Memoirs of the American Entomological Society'' 7:1-181.

★ Malloch, J. R. 1932. Rhagionidae, Therevidae. British Museum (Natural History). Dept. of Entomology [eds] Diptera of Patagonia and South Chile, based mainly on material in the British Museum (Natural History). Part V. Fascicle 3. - Rhagionidae (Leptidae), Therevidae, Scenopenidae, Mydaidae, Asilidae, Lonchopteridae. pp. 199-293.

★ Nagatomi, A. 1982. The genera of Rhagionidae (Diptera). ''J. Nat. Hist''. 16: 31-70.

★ The structure of the mouthparts of the orthorrhaphous Brachycera (Diptera) with special reference to blood-sucking, A. Nagatomi & K. Soroida, , , Beitr. Ent., 1985

External links

★ Brachycera