Family ODINIIDAE Hendel, 1820

Museums

Regional Maps

Introduction

Odiniidae is a small family of flies represented in all world zoogeographical regions. There are currently 62 species described worldwide, but there are many more undescribed species known to science. In Australia, currently only two genera are recorded — each represented by an undescibed species (Colless & McAlpine, [1975]). There has been virtually no research conducted on this family in Australia. Important literature relating to this family includes Shewell (1960) — a key to genera; Hennig (1969) — a key to subfamily and world genera; Prado (1973) — a key to world genera; and most recently Gaimari (2010) — a key to world genera.

Biology
There has been little research into the life histories of species from this family. They are known to be scavengers or predators associated with wood-boring larvae of Coleoptera and Lepidoptera.

General References

Colless, D.H. & McAlpine, D.K. [1975]. Diptera. pp. 91-96 in The Division of Entomology. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Canberra, spons. The Insects of Australia. Supplement. "1974". Melbourne : Melbourne Univ. Press viii + 146 pp. [Date published March]

Gaimari, S.D. 2010. Odiniidae (Odiniid Flies). pp. 1049-1055 in Brown, B.V. et al. Manual of Central American Diptera: Volume 2. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada : NRC Research Press 728 pp.

Hennig, W. 1969. Neue Gattungen und Arten der Acalypteratae. The Canadian Entomologist 101: 589-633 [Date published June] [616-622]

Prado, A. Pires do 1973. Contribuição ao conhecimento da familia Odiniidae (Diptera, Acalyptratae). Studia Entomologica 16: 481-510 [Date published 31 October]

Shewell, G.E. 1960. Notes on the family Odiniidae, with a key to the genera and descriptions of new species (Diptera). The Canadian Entomologist 92: 625-633

History of changes