Family PLATYSTOMATIDAE Schiner, 1862

Platystomatidae

© Copyright Michael Elliott. Australian Museum.

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Introduction

The Platystomatidae (Signal Flies) are a family of acalypterate Schizophora with an almost cosmopolitan distribution. In Australia the family is represented by 26 genera and 184 species, though a great number of species await description in collections (McAlpine 2001). The genera Mesoctenia, Plagiostenopterina, Lamprogaster, Duomyia, Euprosopia (McAlpine 1973a), Lenophila (McAlpine & Kim 1977), Achias (McAlpine 1994) and Rhytidortalis (McAlpine 1999) have been revised in detail, but many of the remaining genera require examination. This catalogue records one new combination, Rivellia aenea (Macquart 1847), attributable to David McAlpine, and includes two genera, Guamomyia and Atopognathus, that include no described Australian species, but have literature records indicating an Australian distribution.

Adult platystomatids display a wide variety of feeding habits. McAlpine (1973a) summarised literature records and added personal observations to record food sources as varied as flowers, mammalian faeces, vinegar, sweat and decaying fruit. Platystomatid larvae have been recorded predominantly from vegetable material. Ferrar (1988) gave a comprehensive summary of the literature on the larval biology.

Agonistic behaviour of male Achias australis was studied by McAlpine (1979) and the sexual behaviour of Euprosopia subula, Euprosopia tenuicornis, Euprosopia anostigma and Pogonortalis doclea was studied by McAlpine (1973b).

Acknowledgements
I would like to thank David McAlpine for his kind assistance in providing access to his notes on the localities and condition of type specimens and for checking the draft of this catalogue. I would also like to thank Dan Bickel and Paul Flemons for encouragement to proceed with this catalogue.{MCALPINED1973B:b}

General References

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

Macquart, J. 1847. Diptères exotiques nouveaux ou peu connus. [2.e supplément]. Paris : Roret pp. 5–104, pls 1–6. [Published before 11 September]

McAlpine, D.K. 1973a. The Australian Platystomatidae (Diptera, Schizophora) with a revision of five genera. Memoirs of the Australian Museum 15: 1-256

McAlpine, D.K. 1979. Agonistic behaviour in Achias australis (Diptera, Platystomatidae) and the significance of eyestalks. pp. 221-230 in Blum, M. & Blum, N. (eds). Sexual Selection and Reproductive Competition in Insects. New York : Academic Press 463 pp.

McAlpine, D.K. 1994. Review of the species of Achias (Diptera: Platystomatidae). Invertebrate Taxonomy 8: 117-281

McAlpine, D.K. 2000. Australian Signal Flies of the Genus Rhytidortalis (Diptera: Platystomatidae). Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 121: 147-174

McAlpine, D.K. 2001. Review of the Australasian genera of Signal Flies (Diptera: Platystomatidae). Records of the Australian Museum 53: 113-199

McAlpine, D.K. & Kim, S.P. 1977. The genus Lenophila (Diptera: Platystomatidae). Records of the Australian Museum 30: 309-336

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