Family HELOSCIOMYZIDAE
Compiler and date details
2010 - Scott Ginn, Australian Museum, Sydney, Australia
2007 - R. Johnson, data taken from Evenhuis, N.L. Catalog of the Diptera of the Australasian and Oceanian Regions (accessed 2007)
Introduction
Helosciomyzidae is a small family of flies. Worldwide, there are 22 species described from nine genera. With the exception of one genus, comprising two species from South America, all other known species are found only within the Australasian region. Nine species from four genera are known from Australia.
Little is known about the life histories of species in this family. Typical habitats are forest and swamps margins, with one species Cobergius vittatus known to have a maritime distribution. Larvae have been associated with dead insects, ant larvae, and seabird carcasses.
Steyskal and Knutson ([1979]) contains several species descriptions. Barnes (1981) published a review of the subfamily Helosciomyzinae, elevating it to family rank and provided a key to the family. Other important lilerature include Hendel (1917) creating the genus Helosciomyza, and McAlpine (1992) defining the oldest species of Heliosciomyzidae.
General References
Barnes, J.K. 1981. Revision of the Helosciomyzidae (Diptera). Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 11: 45-72 [Date published April]
Evenhuis, N.L Family Helosciomyzidae. In Evenhuis, N.L.(ed.) Catalog of the Diptera of the Australasian and Oceanian Regions. (online version). 1996. http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/aocat/heloscio.html
Hamilton, J. et al. 2006. On the Fly, The interactive atlas and key to Australian fly families. [CD-Rom] CBIT & Australian Biological Resources Study, Brisbane & Canberra
Hendel, F. 1917. Beiträge zur Kenntnis der acalyptraten Musciden. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 1917(Sechs Hefte): 33-47 [Date published 1 July]
McAlpine, D.K. 1992. The earliest described species of Helosciomyzidae (Diptera: Schizophora). Australian Entomological Magazine 19: 89-92 [Date published October]
Steyskal, G.C. & Knutson, L. [1979]. Helosciomyzinae in Australia (Diptera: Sciomyzidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 26: 727-743 [Date published 24 January: dated 1978, published 1979]