Chamaemyiidae
Encyclopedia
Chamaemyiidae is a small family of acalyptrate
flies
with less than 200 species described worldwide. The larva
e of these small flies are active and predatory
and are often used for biological control of aphid
s, scale insect
s and similar pests. Chamaemyiid fossil
s are poorly represented in amber
deposits but a few examples are known from the Eocene
epoch onwards.
Acalyptratae
Acalyptratae is a subsection of Schizophora, commonly referred to as the acalyptrate muscoids . It is a very large assemblage, exhibiting very diverse habits, with one notable and perhaps surprising exception; there are no known acalyptrates that are obligate blood-feeders , though this is a life...
flies
Fly
True flies are insects of the order Diptera . They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax...
with less than 200 species described worldwide. The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e of these small flies are active and predatory
Predation
In ecology, predation describes a biological interaction where a predator feeds on its prey . Predators may or may not kill their prey prior to feeding on them, but the act of predation always results in the death of its prey and the eventual absorption of the prey's tissue through consumption...
and are often used for biological control of aphid
Aphid
Aphids, also known as plant lice and in Britain and the Commonwealth as greenflies, blackflies or whiteflies, are small sap sucking insects, and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Aphids are among the most destructive insect pests on cultivated plants in temperate regions...
s, scale insect
Scale insect
The scale insects are small insects of the order Hemiptera, generally classified as the superfamily Coccoidea. There are about 8,000 species of scale insects.-Ecology:...
s and similar pests. Chamaemyiid fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s are poorly represented in amber
Amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin , which has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Amber is used as an ingredient in perfumes, as a healing agent in folk medicine, and as jewelry. There are five classes of amber, defined on the basis of their chemical constituents...
deposits but a few examples are known from the Eocene
Eocene
The Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...
epoch onwards.
Identification
- Tanasiychuk, VN, 1986 Fauna USSR: Diptera. Vol. 14, part 7: Mukhi-Serebryanki (Chamaeiidae) Nauka Leningrad. Text Russian 608 text figs, 70 b/w photos. 335pp.