Family CHYROMYIDAE

 

 

The family Chyromyidae is a fairly small (approximately 50 species; 1–5 mm in length) and little-studied group of xerophilic Diptera. Three extant and one fossil genus comprise the family, which is found worldwide except South America. Adults of extant forms have been collected on flowering plants. Immatures are virtually unknown, but adults have been reared from a variety of substrata including dung, mammal burrows, rotting wood and birds' nests (Ferrar, 1987).

McAlpine (1989: 1483) contended that the genus Gephyromyiella Hennig is misplaced in the Chyromyidae, but offered no explanation why it is misplaced or to what family it should be transferred. It is here retained in the Chyromyidae until further study is conducted on the type specimen to evaluate its proper placement among the acalypterates.



 

Genus GEPHYROMYIELLA Hennig

 

GEPHYROMYIELLA Hennig, 1965: 158. Type species: Gephyromyiella electrica Hennig, 1965, by monotypy.


electrica Hennig, 1965: 158. PA: Baltic Region (Eocene/Oligocene) [A].