Heleomyzidae

Suillia sp.

The shyness flies ( Heleomyzidae ), also known as dark flies, are a family of two-winged flies (Diptera ) and belong to the flies ( Brachycera ). Worldwide, about 500 species of this group of animals, of which 62 species known from Germany. These are all small to medium sized birds with a body length of 1.5 to 12 mm.

Features

The shyness flies are usually yellowish red, brown or black. A striking feature is the very strong in the mouth Tastborsten and the wing edge, which often is still strong spination addition to a strong bristles.

Way of life

The flies are found particularly often on shaded bushes or other vegetation. In addition to carrion, excrement, tree wounds, fungus or most umbel -like flowers. Some species are also found in homes, barns, in caves or in the residential buildings of mammals. In some cases you can find the fly in the winter up to minimum temperatures of minus 12 ° C.

Larval development

The larvae have a typical shape Made with spiny Kriechwülsten. They often live in decomposing plant residues and animal materials. To live species of the genera Heleomyza and Scoliocentra as coprophagous in excrement (also in caves in bat droppings or chicken manure ( Heleoymza serrata ) ), other carrion ( Nekrophagie ) or fungi. Among the latter part of the truffle fly ( Suillia tuberiperda ) whose larvae live in truffles and their search behavior is used for underground truffles from some truffle-hunters. Some species live as pests on crop plants, such as the garlic fly ( Suillia univittata ) to garlic.

Fossil evidence

Fossil evidence for this insect family are rare and only come from tertiary deposits. So Bernstein representative of at least seven genera are identified from eozänem Baltic. In addition, shyness fly also occur in slightly younger Dominican amber.