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, 1982
Apiocera acutipalpis Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera afacialis Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera alastor (Walker, 1849)
Apiocera albanyana Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera aldrichi Painter, 1936
Apiocera aliena Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera alleni Cazier, 1941
Apiocera ammophila Cazier, 1982
Apiocera angusta Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera antennata Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera arena Cazier, 1982
Apiocera arnaudi Cazier, 1982
Apiocera asilica Westwood, 1835
Apiocera asiloides Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera augur Osten Sacken, 1886
Apiocera aurelia Artigas, 1970
Apiocera auripilosa Cazier, 1982
Apiocera australis Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera badipeniculata Yeates, 1994
Apiocera barri Cazier, 1982
Apiocera basivillosa Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera beameri Painter, 1936
Apiocera bibula Cazier, 1982
Apiocera bigelowi Cazier, 1982
Apiocera bigotii (Macquart, 1847)
Apiocera bilineata Painter, 1932
Apiocera braunsi Melander, 1907
Apiocera brevicornis (Wiedemann, 1830)
Apiocera caboae Cazier, 1982
Apiocera calida Cazier, 1982
Apiocera caloris Painter, 1936
Apiocera campbelli Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera canuta Cazier, 1982
Apiocera cerata Paramonov, 1961
Apiocera chiltonae Cazier, 1982
Apiocera chrysolasia Cazier, 1982
Apiocera clavator Painter, 1936
Apiocera commoni Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera constricta Cazier, 1985
Apiocera contrasta Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera convergens Painter, 1936
Apiocera davidsonorum Cazier, 1982
Apiocera deforma Norris, 1936
Apiocera deserticola Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera draperae Cazier, 1982
Apiocera elegans Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera englishae Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera excepta Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera exta Cazier, 1941
Apiocera fallax Cazier, 1982
Apiocera fasciata Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera femoralis Cazier, 1982
Apiocera ferruginea Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera fisheri Cazier, 1982
Apiocera flabellata Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera foleyi Cazier, 1982
Apiocera franckei Cazier, 1982
Apiocera fullerae Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera goerlingi Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera hamata Cazier, 1982
Apiocera hardyi Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera haruspex Osten Sacken, 1877
Apiocera helenae Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera hispida Cazier, 1941
Apiocera horticolis Cazier, 1982
Apiocera immedia Hardy, 1940
Apiocera imminuta Hardy, 1940
Apiocera infinita Cazier, 1941
Apiocera interrupta Painter, 1936
Apiocera intonsa Cazier, 1941
Apiocera latifrons Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera latipennis Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera lavignei Cazier, 1985
Apiocera linsleyi Cazier, 1982
Apiocera longicauda Paramonov, 1961
Apiocera longitudinalis Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera lugubris Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera mackerrasi Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera macswaini Cazier, 1982
Apiocera maritima Hardy, 1933
Apiocera maxima Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera melanura Cazier, 1941
Apiocera mexicana Cazier, 1954
Apiocera minckleyi Cazier, 1982
Apiocera minor Norris, 1936
Apiocera moderata Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera moerens Westwood, 1841
Apiocera monticola Artigas, 1970
Apiocera mortensoni Cazier, 1982
Apiocera mulegeae Cazier, 1985
Apiocera newmani Norris, 1936
Apiocera nicholsoni Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera norrisi Hardy, 1940
Apiocera norrisiana Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera notata Painter, 1936
Apiocera oblonga Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera obscura (Philippi, 1865)
Apiocera ogradyi Cazier, 1982
Apiocera omniflava Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera ordana Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera orientalis Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera ornata Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera painteri Cazier, 1963
Apiocera pallida Norris, 1936
Apiocera parahydra Cazier, 1982
Apiocera parkeri Cazier, 1941
Apiocera pearcei Cazier, 1941
Apiocera philippii Brethes, 1924
Apiocera pica Norris, 1936
Apiocera picoides Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera pilosoris Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera powelli Cazier, 1982
Apiocera pruinosa Cazier, 1982
Apiocera pulcherrima Paramonov, 1961
Apiocera pulchra Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera reginae Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera rockefelleri Cazier, 1982
Apiocera rubrifasciata Cazier, 1982
Apiocera septentrionalis Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera similis Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera sonorae Cazier, 1954
Apiocera spectabilis Cazier, 1982
Apiocera striativentris Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera swani Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera sylvestris Cazier, 1982
Apiocera tonnoiri Norris, 1936
Apiocera trimaculata Painter, 1936
Apiocera tropica Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera unicolor Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera varia Cazier, 1985
Apiocera vespera Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera victoriae Paramonov, 1953
Apiocera volucra Cazier, 1982
Apiocera voragocolis Cazier, 1982
Apiocera vulpes Hermann, 1909
Apiocera warneri Cazier, 1985
Apiocera wilcoxi Cazier, 1982
