Sepsidae
Sepsis fulgens
The scavenger flies ( Sepsidae ) are a family of small, mostly dark metallic luster flies, which are mainly characterized by the front wasp -like narrowed abdomen. The slow forward and backward swing of the often dotted wing has earned them their name.
Features
These are small flies from two to six millimeters in length, the body more or less bare and mostly black and - is metallic shiny - often slightly reddish or purple. The head is spherical.
The abdomen is narrowed front wasp -like in most species. The rear end is often pointed shorter or longer.
The wings are crystal clear and have short of the tip in many species a dark spot. In the Flügeladerung the Costa and the Subcosta complete and of the vein r1 are separated.
Way of life
The larvae of the black scavenger flies develop in the feces of animals, rarely also in decaying plant residues. Many species are especially bound to the feces of mammals. The eggs are laid by the Imagines directly to the culture medium. After one to two days, the larvae hatch, the live through three stages of development. Pupation then takes place in the culture medium itself or in the underlying soil. The puparium has a reddish color. The development from egg to adult stage lasts 14 to 32 days.
The adult animals feed mainly on nectar, visit excrement but except for reproduction presumably to meet their needs for protein and minerals. Often you can see the animals on leaves of smaller plants where they splay their wings and move striking forward and backward.
Dissemination
The scavenger flies are found worldwide, from Germany are so far 32 species known. Many species of the family have very large distribution areas, as they followed the cattle and man.
European genera
The family includes about 20 genera with about 280 species. The European genera are (after ):
- Archi sepsis
- Meroplius
- Nemopoda
- Ortalischema
- Orygma
- Salt Ella
- Sepsis
- Themira
- Zuskamira