Order Fly | Scientific name Fanniidae Rank Family | |
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Lower classifications | ||
fanniidae
The Fanniidae are a small (285 species in four genera) group of true flies largely confined to the Holarctic and temperate Neotropical ecozones; there are 11 Afrotropical species, 29 Oriental, and 14 Australasian.
Contents
Adults are medium-sized to small and usually have mainly dark body and leg colours. Males congregate in characteristic dancing swarms beneath trees; females are more retiring in habit. Larvae are characterised by their flattened bodies with striking lateral protuberances, and live as scavengers in various kinds of decaying organic matter.
The lesser housefly Fannia canicularis is a worldwide synanthropic species.
Fanniidae are indicators useful in forensic entomology.
Identifying characteristics
The Fanniidae were once a subfamily of Muscidae from which they may be distinguished by:
