Family EPHYDRIDAE Zetterstedt, 1837

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Family EPHYDRIDAE Zetterstedt, 1837

Brine Flies, Shore Flies

Compiler and date details

November 2011 - Scott Ginn, Australian Museum, Sydney, Australia

Introduction

Ephydridae is a large and diverse family of flies, with at least 1800 species already described worldwide, and many more as yet undescribed. Numerous recognised new species in existing institutional collections await description. In Australia, the diversity of this family is reflected in the high species to genus/subgenus ratio with 96 species currently described in 37 genera with 10 subgenera. Three species Dryxo lispoidea, Hecamede (Hecamede) albicans and Leptopsilopa mutabilis are added tentatively in this work, based on specimen records in the Australian Museum reference collection.

Early work on this family of flies in Australia was done predominantly by non-Australian entomologists — Malloch (in the 1920s), Cresson (pre-1950), and then later Mathis (numerous publications from 1974 onwards) either by himself or in collaboration with other workers. The World Catalogue of Shore Flies by Mathis and Zatwarnicki (1995) is the most comprehensive publication on this family. Bock is the only Australian to have worked extensively on this family publishing several major revisionary works (1987, 1988, 1990). The currently accepted classification structure of five subfamilies was proposed by Zatwarnicki (1992).

Biology
Knowledge of the biology of Ephydridae is poor. The immatures of many species feed as browsers, filter feeders or leaf miners. Some species are aquatic or semi-aquatic. Others are parasitoids of spider and frog eggs, or are saprophages feeding on dead snails, carrion or faeces. Ephydrids are even known from some bizarre toxic habitats such as hot sulphur springs, highly alkaline or saline springs and even exposed pools of crude petroleum. Species of Hydrellia are of economic importance as their leaf-mining habits are known to damage crops such as rice and barley. Hydrellia tritici is often found in vast numbers along seeps and wet pastures.