Family THAUMALEIDAE Bezzi, 1913
Compiler and date details
2011 - Karin Koch & Christine Lambkin, Queensland Museum
1999 - E.-M.E. Bugledich, CSIRO Entomology, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Introduction
The Thaumaleidae is a species-poor group of small, stocky, yellow to brown flies. About 120 species are known in five genera, predominantly from temperate areas of both hemispheres. Adults are recognised by the few (seven) veins reaching the margin, the costa running around the entire margin, by the absence of ocelli and particularly by the short antennae which are no longer than the head. Adult Thaumaleidae are encountered infrequently, usually close to the hygropetric aquatic larval habitat. The undersides of bridges over smaller running waters are amongst the commoner adult aggregation sites.
Larval Thaumaleidae resemble larval Lutzomyia (Psychodidae), Forcipomyia (Ceratopogonidae), and several Chironomidae. The unpaired prolegs, ventrally directed truncate head, and prothoracic spiracles on a short respiratory tube allow recognition.
Thaumaleid larvae are predominantly hygropetric in vertical, thin water films alongside waterfalls and torrents. They are intolerant of elevated temperatures and are most frequent in fully shaded localities. They feed by grazing on diatoms. Little or no life history information is available on Australian species: recent taxonomic revision (Theischinger 1986) is based on the adult stage alone.
General References
Theischinger, G. 1986. Australian Thaumaleidae (Insecta: Diptera). Records of the Australian Museum 38: 291-317
History of changes
| Published | As part of group | Action Date | Action Type | Compiler(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10-Jun-2011 | 10-Jun-2011 | MODIFIED | ||
| 12-Feb-2010 | (import) |