The Coelopidae or kelp flies are a family of Acalyptratae flies (order Diptera), they are sometimes also called seaweed flies, although both terms are used for a number of seashore Diptera. Fewer than 40 species occur worldwide. The family is found in temperate areas, with species occurring in the southern Afrotropical, Holarctic, and Australasian (which has the most species) regions.
Family characteristics
Coelopids are small to medium-sized (, usually ), robust flies, predominantly with a flat body and darkly coloured. Coelopidae species are usually densely bristly or hairy. Their eyes are small. The arista is bare to pubescent. Ocelli and ocellar bristles are present. The postvertical bristles are parallel or converge. The two pairs of frontal bristles curve outward and scattered interfrontal setulae are present. Vibrissae are absent, but strong bristles occur near the vibrissal angle. The mesonotum is flat and the prothorax is separated from the propleuron by a membrane. The legs bear strong bristles and soft, dense hairs and the tibiae have subapical bristles. The wing is unmarked. The costa is entire, without interruptions. The subcosta is complete, crossvein BM-Cu is present, and the anal cell (cell cup) is closed. Legs usually densely hairy.
Biology Coelopids are found in the wrack zone of temperate seashores where the larvae feed on rotting seaweed. They are sometimes very abundant in this habitat. They go through several generations a year. The females lay their eggs in small batches into fresh alga banks. Three larval instars occur. Larvae feed in a bacteria-laden mass. Pupation is seldom in the algal substrate that soon collapses, but more frequently in the highest sand layers. Larvae are also found in winter wrack heaps as bacteria raise temperatures to 20-30 °C even if the heap is superficially frozen. Larvae and pupae have numerous predators, including birds and the staphylinid Aleochara and suites of parasites confined to algal banks.
Classification , following Mathis and McAlpine's taxonomy, Coelopidae consists of two subfamilies: Coelopinae, with three tribes, twelve genera, and twenty-eight species, and Lopinae, consisting of just one monospecific genus. Subfamily Coelopinae Hendel, 1910 Tribe Coelopini Hendel, 1910 Genus Coelopa Meigen, 1830 Subgenus Coelopa Meigen, 1830 Subgenus Fucomyia Haliday, 1837 Subgenus Neocoelopa Malloch, 1933 Tribe Coelopellini McAlpine, 1991 Genus Amma McAlpine, 1991 Genus Beaopterus Lamb, 1909 Genus Coelopella Malloch, 1933 Genus Icaridion Lamb, 1909 Halteres absent and the wings are reduced to strips. New Zealand. Genus Rhis McAlpine, 1991 Genus This McAlpine, 1991 Tribe Glumini McAlpine, 1991 Genus Chaetocoelopa Malloch, 1933 Genus Coelopina Malloch, 1933 Genus Dasycoelopa Malloch, 1933 Genus Gluma McAlpine, 1991 Genus Malacomyia Haliday in Westwood, 1840 (sometimes placed in Dryomyzidae Subfamily Lopinae McAlpine, 1991 Genus Lopa McAlpine, 1991
Other Coelopa frigida (Fabricius) has been reared in the laboratory and used for genetic studies.
See also Chaetocoelopa littoralis
References
Further reading
External links
Tree of Life Coelopidae Family Coelopidae at EOL Diptera.info Images BugGuide images
Image of pupa
Identification Hennig. 1937. Coelopidae.In: Lindner, E. (Ed.). Die Fliegen der Paläarktischen Region 5, 52, 1-38.Keys to Palaearctic species but now needs revision (in German). Malloch, J.R. 1933. The genus Coelopa Meigen (Diptera, Coelopidae). Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (10) 11: 339–50. McAlpine, David K. (1991). "Review of the Australian Kelp Flies (Diptera: Coelopidae)" (Print). Systematic Entomology 16: 29–84. Séguy, E. (1934) Diptères: Brachycères. II. Muscidae acalypterae, Scatophagidae. Paris: Éditions Faune de France 28. virtuelle numérique Shtakel'berg, A.A. Family Coelopidae in Bei-Bienko, G. Ya, 1988 Keys to the insects of the European Part of the USSR Volume 5 (Diptera) Part 2 English edition.Keys to Palaearctic species but now needs revision .
Species lists West Palaearctic and Russia Nearctic Australasian/Oceanian Japan