Anthomyzidae are small, slender, yellow to black flies with narrow and
elongate (or sometimes greatly reduced) wings, which may have distinct markings.
Fewer than 50 species are known, mostly from Europe. Although they occur
in all major regions, they seem to be most varied in the Holarctic Region.
At least 1 unnamed species of Amygdalops is apparently native to
Australia. The 2 Hawaiian species are undoubtedly recent immigrants; they
have been described and figured by Hardy & Delfinado (1980).
A number of diverse genera have been placed in the family, but Teratomyza
and Teratoptera are now referred to the Teratomyzidae, and Cyamops
and Stenomicra to the Stenomicridae. Melanthomyza Malloch
from Chile should probably not be retained in the family. The remaining
8 genera are very similar to one another, and a generic revision is needed.
Frey (1958a) gave a key to 6 of these genera; the other 2 genera are Echidnocephalodes Sabrosky (Seychelles) and Santhomyza Rohacek (Europe).
Larvae have been reported, in Europe, from leaf sheaths of various grasses
and of Typha and Juncus, from Lipara galls on Phragmites,
from decaying dicotyledonous plants, and from fungi. It is possible that
they may be either phytophagous or saprophagous, but there seem to be no
reports of damage to cereals or other plants.
Refs.: Frey (1958a, key), Hardy & Delfinado (1980, Hawaiian spp.).
AMYGDALOPS Lamb, 1914: 357. Type species: Amygdalops thomasseti
Lamb, 1914, orig. des.
nigronotum Sueyoshi & Rohácek, 2003: 18. Japan; Bonin Is, Fiji, Hawaiian Is [introduced]; Indonesia (Java), Ryukyus.
thomassetti, misid., not Lamb.
silaceus Rohacek, 2008: 336. Guam.
MUMETOPIA Melander, 1913: 286. Type species: Mumetopia occidentalis
Melander, 1913, orig. des.
nigrimana Coquillett, 1900c: 264. Puerto Rico; Hawaiian Is [introduced];
USA, Neotrop. Reg.