Two rows of well developed bristles are present on the costa and almost at a right angle to each other. Smith, T. Oda, D. Karamine: "A case of lung myiasis caused by larvae of Traditionally, phorids were classified into six subfamilies: Phorinae, Aenigmatiinae, Metopininae (including tribes Beckerinini and Metopinini), Alamirinae, Termitoxeniinae, and Thaumatoxeninae. The most well-known species is cosmopolitan Megaselia scalaris. Many species of phorid flies are specialist parasitoids of ants, but several species in the tropics are parasitoids of stingless bees. About 4,000 species are known in 230 genera. The puparium is oval, pointed at ends (because the larval extremities remain relatively unchanged).
(1993) Mosaic evolution and outgroup comparisons. At 0.4 mm in length, the world's smallest fly i
Segments VII and VIII of the male are more or less sclerotized in the genus The larva is small, rarely over 10.0 mm long and typically has 12 visible segments.
Crossveins are totally absent. The colour is whitish, yellowish white, or grey. In some genera, segments VII to X in the female are highly sclerotized and extended into a tube ("ovipositor"). (2013) Scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) reared from fungi in Benin. Abdominal segment 2 has a dorsal pair of long, slender pupal respiratory horns. (1992) Abolition of Alamirinae and ultimate rejection of Wasmann's theory of hermaphroditism in Termitoxeniinae (Diptera: Phoridae). These affected bees are often host to more than one fly larva, and some individuals have been found to contain 12 phorid larvae.Other species, especially those of the giant genus Phorid flies also represent a new and hopeful means by which to control In January 2012, a researcher discovered larvae in the test tube of a dead honey bee believed to have been affected by A few cases of phorid flies opportunistically causing human Brown, B.V. 2012: Small size no protection for acrobat ants: world's smallest fly is a parasitic phorid (Diptera: Phoridae). The wings are clear or tinged only rarely with markings. The convex mesonotum is usually covered with hairs and rows of bristles. The strong, well developed radial (R) veins end in the costa about halfway along the wing. & Cumming, M.S. Other costal indices (compared to other wing measurements) are used in the taxonomy.
The Phoridae are a family of small, hump-backed flies resembling fruit flies. R4+5 may furcate at end. Disney & Cumming (1992) abolished the Alamirinae when they showed they were the 'missing' males of Termitoxeniinae, which were known only from females.Phorid flies are found worldwide, though the greatest variety of species is to be found in the The larvae emerge in 24 hours and feed for a period between 8 and 16 days, before crawling to a drier spot to pupate.
The ratio of first, second, and third sections of the costa is often a reliable specific character. The metapleuron may be entire or divided by a suture into two halves, and either with a few long bristles glabrous, or pubescent. Phorid flies can often be identified by their escape habit of running rapidly across a surface rather than taking to the wing. The abdomen consists of six visible segments. Journal of Natural History, 29, 1081–1082.Disney, R.H.L., Kurina, O., Tedersoo, L. & Cakpo, Y. Pupation occurs in the last larval skin which hardens and becomes reddish. The legs have stout femora and the hind femora are often laterally compressed. The first instar is metapneustic, later instars are amphipneustic. They have a characteristic reduced wing venation. Of the radial veins, only R1 and R4+5 are developed. Another vernacular name, coffin fly, refers to Conicera tibialis. This behaviour is a source of one of their alternate names, scuttle fly. Journal of Natural History, 29, 259–264.Disney, R.H.L.
Segments VII to X comprise the genitalia of the male (hypopygium), and in the female the terminalia. R4 and R5 may merge into the alar margin separately or (1995) Reply to Brown. The other veins (branches of the medius) are weaker and usually follow a diagonal course and are often parallel to each other. Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Canada, 164, 1–144.Disney, R.H.L. Medial veins are represented by M1, M2, and M4. An important taxonomic character is the precise location of the anterior spiracles on the pleura of the thorax. T. L. Carpenter and D. O. Chastain: "Facultative Myiasis by K. Komori, K. Hara, K.G.V. Disney, R.H.L. The subcosta is reduced. The shape varies from fusiform with inconspicuous projections on posterior segments to short, broad, and flattened with conspicuous dorsal and lateral plumose projections especially on the terminal segment. The anal vein may reach the alar margin, or is greatly shortened or almost atrophied. Journal of Natural History, 27, 1219–1221.Brown, B.V. (1995) Response to Disney. Bonner zoologische Beiträge, 43, 145–154.Brown, B.V. (1992) Generic revision of Phoridae of the Nearctic Region and phylogenetic classification of Phoridae, Sciadoceridae and Ironomyiidae (Diptera: Phoridea).