Family SCATOPSIDAE Newman, 1834

Scatopsidae

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Introduction

The Scatopsidae are a species-poor, cosmopolitan family of small dark nematocerans with 1 segmented palps, and wings with distinctly darkened and thickened anterior radial veins contrasting with paler posterior veins. Adults are encountered on flowers, and associated with decaying vegetative and animal materials of many kinds. The latter habitats are the preferred breeding site for some of the few species whose biologies are known, including two cosmopolitan species Scatopse notata and Coboldia fuscipes. Larval Scatopsidae are dorsoventrally flattened, with an exerted (non-retractile) head capsule, peripneustic respiratory system with spiracles on protuberances in some taxa.

There are some 250 species worldwide, with a dozen or more species known as fossils, dating from as early as the Upper Cretaceous.

General References

Amorim, D.S. & Haenni, J.-P. 1992. A new species of Psectrosciara Kieffer from East Siberia belonging to the scatopsiformis-group of species (Diptera. Scatopsidae). Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft / Bulletin of the Société Entomologique Suisse 65: 363-367

Cook, E.F. 1971. The Australian Scatopsidae. Australian Journal of Zoology Supplementary Series 8: 1-90 [Date published 15/11/1971]

Laštovska, P. & Haenni J.-P. 1981. Scatopse globulicauda sp. from the European Alps, with notes on S. notata (Diptera, Scatopsidae). Acta Entomologica Bohemoslovaca 78: 340-347

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