Opomyzidae
Opomyza florum
The grass flies, also juice flies or fly meadow, ( Opomyzidae ) are a family of relatively small, slender flies, nate their larvae in grasses. Many of the species have drawn with dots or blurry spots wings.
Description
They are 2-5 mm long, relatively slender built flying. The body is usually orange or black in color.
With the sensors the third antennal segment is relatively short and compact, and are inclined downwardly from the second sensor element. Vibrissenborsten missing. However, there are a pair of orbital bristles (along the front edge of the eye ), which are directed backwards. A small Ozellendreieck is available.
The more or less slender wings are usually drawn with black or dark area, or at least the wing tips are obscured. When Flügeladerung long, at the wing tip radii r23 and r45 approaching are striking. r1 is brief or merged with Subcosta. The wings have two cross- veins, which are often clouded dark.
Biology
The adults can be found on dry and on wet meadows, as in the grass and herbaceous layer in forests and near forests. They are equipped with up to six months extremely durable, and can therefore be found at almost any time of year.
If known, insert the imagines their eggs to the base of grasses. The larvae eat their way into the stalks and then feed on the young leaves of the plant, their further growth thus they can bring to a standstill.
The larval development takes about 30-40 days. The larvae eventually leave the plant and pupate in the soil.
Dissemination
The family is spread mainly Holarctic. Some species occur in southern and eastern Africa.
European genera
In Europe, three genera occur with about 33 species. Indicated also are the most common species in Central Europe.
- Anomalochaeta
- Geomyza Geomyza balachowskyi
- Geomyza combinata
- Geomyza tripunctata
- Opomyza florum
- Opomyza germinationis