Family AUSTRALIMYZIDAE Griffiths, 1972

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Introduction

Australimyzidae are a small acalypterate family of flies, endemic to Australia and New Zealand. All currently described species are placed in the genus Australimyza. To date, nine species have been described, of which four species are recorded in Australia. Harrison (1953) first described Australimyza in the family Milichiidae. Subsequently, it was referred to family Carnidae (Colless & McAlpine 1970) until Griffiths (1972) placed Australimyza in its own family — Australimyzidae. Brake and Mathis (2007) published the first review of Australimyza (key to species). The phylogenetic position of Australimyzidae is discussed in Buck (2006).

Adults are typically found near beaches and have been collected on a variety of plant species including seaweed and tussock grass, as well as on dead stingray, near sea lion wallows and in Albatross nests. The larva of Australimyza macquariensis is described by Brake and Mathis (2007). Larvae are known to be saprophagous, and adults have been bred from Stilbocarpa polaris (Araliaceae), kelp and nettle.

General References

Brake, I. & Mathis, W.M. 2007. Revision of the genus Australimyza Harrison (Diptera: Australimyzidae). Systematic Entomology 32(2): 252-275 [Date published April]

Buck, M. 2006. A new family and genus of acalypterate flies from the Neotropical region, with a phylogenetic analysis of Carnoidea family relationships (Diptera, Schizophora). Systematic Entomology 31(3): 377-404 [Date published July]

Colless, D.H. & McAlpine, D.K. 1970. Diptera (flies). pp. 656-740 in CSIRO (ed.). The Insects of Australia. A textbook for students and research workers. Carlton : Melbourne University Press xiv 1029 pp.

Evenhuis, N. (originally by Sabrosky, C.W) 2007. Family Asteiidae. In Evenhuis, N.L.(ed.) Catalog of the Diptera of the Australasian and Oceanian Regions. http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/aocat/australimyzidae.html [online version, last updated 8 June 2007]

Griffiths G.C.D. 1972. The phylogenetic classification of Diptera Cyclorrhapha with special reference to the structure of the male postabdomen. Series Entomologica 8(i-iv): 1-340

Harrison, R.A. 1953. The Diptera of the Antipodes and the Bounty islands. Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Zoology 81: 269-282 [Date published September]

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