Family CHLOROPIDAE Rondani, 1856

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Introduction

Chloropidae are a large family of acalyptrate flies with more than 2000 species described worldwide. Currently for Australia 322 species are described representing 49 genera. They are generally small flies ranging from 1.5-5.0 mm in body length. In recent literature, new species have regularly been described from other zoogeographical regions, and there are many undescribed species residing in institutional collections. Chloropid flies are characterised by a large triangular plate on the frons.

Becker's (1911) monograph of the Indo-Australian fauna included numerous Australian species. Many of the early descriptions of the Australian chloropid fauna appear in Malloch's series of papers (1913-1941). In 1977, Andersson published a taxonomic and phylogenetic review on the Old World genera of Chloropidae. More recently, significant additions to the Australian fauna include Spencer's (1986) review of Australian Chloropinae (keys to genera and species) and Ismay's (1993) revision of the genera Tricimba and Aprometopis (keys to genera and species of Oscinellinae).

Chloropid larval habits are diverse (see Ferrar, 1988). They are known to be saprophagous and phytophagous. Others are gall inducers, predators of eggs (e.g. spider egg sacs, see Hickman, 1971) and root aphids, and some are parasites. Some species are pests of cereal crops and pasture grasses. Oscinella frit is a pest of wheat, and is of significant economic importance. In South-east Asia, species of the genus Siphunculina are known to be attracted to mammalian eyes (including humans), as well as being vectors of eye disease. Some species of Thaumatomyia and Chloropisca are probably of economic benefit, their larvae being predators of plant-damaging bugs such as aphids and scale insects.There has not been a great deal written about the biology of the Australian chloropid fauna; Hoskin & McCallum (2007) investigated parasitism of frogs by Batrachomyia in northern Australia.

Unidentified acalyptrate flies thought to represent the genera Pseudeurina De Meijere, 1904 have also been recorded in Queensland (Sabrosky, 1989).

 

General References

Andersson, H. 1977. Taxonomic and phylogenetic studies on Chloropidae (Diptera) with special reference to Old World genera. Entomologica Scandinavica. Supplementum 8: 200 pp. [Date published 6 April]

Becker, T. 1911. Chloropidae. Eine monographische Studie. III. Teil. Die indo-australische Region. Annales Historico-Naturales Musei Nationalis Hungarici 9: 35-170 [Date published 26 June]

Ferrar, P. 1988. Family Chloropidae. pp. 106-120 in Ferrar, P. A Guide to the Breeding Habits and Immature Stages of Diptera Cyclorrhapha. Leiden : E.J.Brill & Scandinavian Press 907 pp.

Hickman, V.V. 1971. The biology of Tasmanian Chloropidae (Diptera) whose larvae feed on spiders' eggs. Journal of the Entomological Society of Australia 7: 8-33 [Date published 23 December]

Hoskin, C.J. & McCallum, H. 2007. Phylogeography of the parasitic fly Batrachomyia in the Wet Tropics of north-east Australia, and susceptibility of host frog lineages in a mosaic contact zone. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society of London 92(3): 593-603 [Date published November]

Ismay, J.W. 1993. Revision of Tricimba Lioy and Aprometopis Becker(Diptera : Chloropidae) from Australia and the Papuan Region. Invertebrate Taxonomy 7: 297-499

Malloch, J.R. 1938. Notes on Australian Diptera. XXXVII. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 63: 334-356 [Date published 15 December]

Malloch, J.R. 1940. Notes on Australian Diptera. XXXVIII. Family Chloropidae, part ii. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 65(3-4): 261-288 [Date published 16 September]

Malloch, J.R. 1941. Notes on Australian Diptera. XXXIX. Family Chloropidae, part iii. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 66(1-2): 41-64 [Date published 15 May]

Sabrosky, C.W. 1989. 100. Family Chloropidae. pp. 650-668 in Evenhuis, N.L. (ed.). Catalog of the Diptera of the Australasian and Oceanian Regions. Honolulu and Leiden : Bishop Museum Press and E.J. Brill 1155 pp. [657]

Sabrosky, C.W. [original author] 3 June 2007. Family Chloropidae. In Evenhuis, N.L.(ed.) Catalog of the Diptera of the Australasian and Oceanian Regions [online version]. http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/aocat/chloropidae.html

Spencer, K.A. 1986. The Australian Chloropinae (Diptera: Chloropidae). Journal of Natural History 20: 503-615 [Date published 20 May]

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
01-Jun-2021	CHLOROPIDAE Rondani, 1856	12-Jul-2023	MODIFIED	Dr Bryan Lessard (ABRS)
28-Oct-2011		28-Oct-2011	MODIFIED
17-Oct-2011		17-Oct-2011	MODIFIED
		12-Feb-2010	(import)