The Apioceridae, or flower-loving flies, are a small (about 150 species) family of flies, all in the single genus Apiocera. They occur mostly in dry, sandy habitats in the deserts of North America, South America, and Australia. Other genera formerly placed in Apioceridae are now in Mydidae.
Diversity and biogeography
The roughly 150 species of Apiocera are divided into four subgenera, each restricted to a different continent. Apiocera is found in Australia, Ripidosyrma in southern Africa, Pyrocera in North America, and Anypenus in South America.
Apiocera species are found in sandy, arid and semiarid habitats. Despite the common name, most Apiocera species never visit flowers, but rather are found running on the ground near sparse vegetation, or feeding on honeydew beneath aphid-infested plants. They are often seen drinking from damp sand with their sponge-like mouthparts. The larvae of Apiocera maritima are found in sand near the high-water mark of coastal beaches.
This section contains a list of 138 species:
Apiocera acuticauda Cazier, 1982Apiocera acutipalpis Paramonov, 1953Apiocera afacialis Paramonov, 1953Apiocera alastor (Walker, 1849)Apiocera albanyana Paramonov, 1953Apiocera aldrichi Painter, 1936Apiocera aliena Paramonov, 1953Apiocera alleni Cazier, 1941Apiocera ammophila Cazier, 1982Apiocera angusta Paramonov, 1953Apiocera antennata Paramonov, 1953Apiocera arena Cazier, 1982Apiocera arnaudi Cazier, 1982Apiocera asilica Westwood, 1835Apiocera asiloides Paramonov, 1953Apiocera augur Osten Sacken, 1886Apiocera aurelia Artigas, 1970Apiocera auripilosa Cazier, 1982Apiocera australis Paramonov, 1953Apiocera badipeniculata Yeates, 1994Apiocera barri Cazier, 1982Apiocera basivillosa Paramonov, 1953Apiocera beameri Painter, 1936Apiocera bibula Cazier, 1982Apiocera bigelowi Cazier, 1982Apiocera bigotii (Macquart, 1847)Apiocera bilineata Painter, 1932Apiocera braunsi Melander, 1907Apiocera brevicornis (Wiedemann, 1830)Apiocera caboae Cazier, 1982Apiocera calida Cazier, 1982Apiocera caloris Painter, 1936Apiocera campbelli Paramonov, 1953Apiocera canuta Cazier, 1982Apiocera cerata Paramonov, 1961Apiocera chiltonae Cazier, 1982Apiocera chrysolasia Cazier, 1982Apiocera clavator Painter, 1936Apiocera commoni Paramonov, 1953Apiocera constricta Cazier, 1985Apiocera contrasta Paramonov, 1953Apiocera convergens Painter, 1936Apiocera davidsonorum Cazier, 1982Apiocera deforma Norris, 1936Apiocera deserticola Paramonov, 1953Apiocera draperae Cazier, 1982Apiocera elegans Paramonov, 1953Apiocera englishae Paramonov, 1953Apiocera excepta Paramonov, 1953Apiocera exta Cazier, 1941Apiocera fallax Cazier, 1982Apiocera fasciata Paramonov, 1953Apiocera femoralis Cazier, 1982Apiocera ferruginea Paramonov, 1953Apiocera fisheri Cazier, 1982Apiocera flabellata Paramonov, 1953Apiocera foleyi Cazier, 1982Apiocera franckei Cazier, 1982Apiocera fullerae Paramonov, 1953Apiocera goerlingi Paramonov, 1953Apiocera hamata Cazier, 1982Apiocera hardyi Paramonov, 1953Apiocera haruspex Osten Sacken, 1877Apiocera helenae Paramonov, 1953Apiocera hispida Cazier, 1941Apiocera horticolis Cazier, 1982Apiocera immedia Hardy, 1940Apiocera imminuta Hardy, 1940Apiocera infinita Cazier, 1941Apiocera interrupta Painter, 1936Apiocera intonsa Cazier, 1941Apiocera latifrons Paramonov, 1953Apiocera latipennis Paramonov, 1953Apiocera lavignei Cazier, 1985Apiocera linsleyi Cazier, 1982Apiocera longicauda Paramonov, 1961Apiocera longitudinalis Paramonov, 1953Apiocera lugubris Paramonov, 1953Apiocera mackerrasi Paramonov, 1953Apiocera macswaini Cazier, 1982Apiocera maritima Hardy, 1933Apiocera maxima Paramonov, 1953Apiocera melanura Cazier, 1941Apiocera mexicana Cazier, 1954Apiocera minckleyi Cazier, 1982Apiocera minor Norris, 1936Apiocera moderata Paramonov, 1953Apiocera moerens Westwood, 1841Apiocera monticola Artigas, 1970Apiocera mortensoni Cazier, 1982Apiocera mulegeae Cazier, 1985Apiocera newmani Norris, 1936Apiocera nicholsoni Paramonov, 1953Apiocera norrisi Hardy, 1940Apiocera norrisiana Paramonov, 1953Apiocera notata Painter, 1936Apiocera oblonga Paramonov, 1953Apiocera obscura (Philippi, 1865)Apiocera ogradyi Cazier, 1982Apiocera omniflava Paramonov, 1953Apiocera ordana Paramonov, 1953Apiocera orientalis Paramonov, 1953Apiocera ornata Paramonov, 1953Apiocera painteri Cazier, 1963Apiocera pallida Norris, 1936Apiocera parahydra Cazier, 1982Apiocera parkeri Cazier, 1941Apiocera pearcei Cazier, 1941Apiocera philippii Brethes, 1924Apiocera pica Norris, 1936Apiocera picoides Paramonov, 1953Apiocera pilosoris Paramonov, 1953Apiocera powelli Cazier, 1982Apiocera pruinosa Cazier, 1982Apiocera pulcherrima Paramonov, 1961Apiocera pulchra Paramonov, 1953Apiocera reginae Paramonov, 1953Apiocera rockefelleri Cazier, 1982Apiocera rubrifasciata Cazier, 1982Apiocera septentrionalis Paramonov, 1953Apiocera similis Paramonov, 1953Apiocera sonorae Cazier, 1954Apiocera spectabilis Cazier, 1982Apiocera striativentris Paramonov, 1953Apiocera swani Paramonov, 1953Apiocera sylvestris Cazier, 1982Apiocera tonnoiri Norris, 1936Apiocera trimaculata Painter, 1936Apiocera tropica Paramonov, 1953Apiocera unicolor Paramonov, 1953Apiocera varia Cazier, 1985Apiocera vespera Paramonov, 1953Apiocera victoriae Paramonov, 1953Apiocera volucra Cazier, 1982Apiocera voragocolis Cazier, 1982Apiocera vulpes Hermann, 1909Apiocera warneri Cazier, 1985Apiocera wilcoxi Cazier, 1982