Ornithophila
Encyclopedia
Ornithophila are genus
of biting flies
in the family of louse flies, Hippoboscidae
. There are two known species. Both species are parasites
of bird
s.
and Antarctica.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of biting 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...
in the family of louse flies, Hippoboscidae
Hippoboscidae
Hippoboscidae, the louse flies or keds are obligate parasites of mammals and birds. In this family there are winged species which can fly at least reasonably well, as well as others with vestigial or no wings which are flightless and highly apomorphic...
. There are two known species. Both species are parasites
Parasitism
Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship between organisms of different species where one organism, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the other, the host. Traditionally parasite referred to organisms with lifestages that needed more than one host . These are now called macroparasites...
of bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s.
Distribution
Ornithophila are found worldwide with the exception of the AmericasAmericas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
and Antarctica.
Systematics
- Genus Ornithophila RóndaniCamillo RóndaniCamillo Róndani was an Italian entomologist noted for his studies of Diptera.-Early years:When Camillo Róndani was born in Parma the city was part of the French Empire Napoleon having crowned himself King of Italy...
, 1879 - O. gestroi (RóndaniCamillo RóndaniCamillo Róndani was an Italian entomologist noted for his studies of Diptera.-Early years:When Camillo Róndani was born in Parma the city was part of the French Empire Napoleon having crowned himself King of Italy...
, 1878) - O. metallica (SchinerIgnaz Rudolph SchinerIgnaz Rudolf Schiner was an Austrian entomologist who specialised in Diptera.Schiner was born in Fronsburg , Horn in 1813 and died in Vienna on 6 July 1873. He was a ministerial secretary in ViennaHis most significant publications are...
, 1864)