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Family CONOPIDAE
The Conopidae are a moderately-sized family of flies (about
800 species in 45 genera) found worldwide. Adults of extant forms normally
inhabit xeric conditions where the primary hosts of the larvae (aculeate
Hymenoptera) occur and can often be found feeding on the nectar and pollen of
various flowers. Larvae are internal parasites of various aculeate Hymenoptera,
Orthoptera, Dictyoptera, and some calypterate
Diptera.
The fossil record of the family is poor. Only two species
are known, both from the Tertiary, thereby implying a relatively late
geological origin for the family. The fossil described by Scudder (Poliomyia recta) needs to be reexamined to
verify its correct familial placement. It is retained in this catalog in the
Conopidae pending restudy of the type material.
Ref.:
Hennig (1966c, review of Baltic amber taxa).
Genus PALAEOMYOPA
Meunier
PALAEOMYOPA
Meunier, 1899a: 145. Type species: Palaeomyopa tertiaria Meunier, 1912,
by subsequent monotypy in Meunier (1912b: 180).
PALAEOSICUS
Meunier, 1916a: 280. Type species: Palaeosicus
loewi Meunier, 1916 [= Palaeomyopa tertiaria Meunier, 1912], by
monotypy.
hennigi Stuke, 2003: 92. PA: Baltic (Eocene) [A].
tertiaria
Meunier, 1912b: 180. PA: Baltic Region (Eocene) [A].
loewi
Meunier, 1916a: 280 (Palaeosicus). PA: Baltic
Region (Eocene) [A].
Genus POLIOMYIA
Scudder
POLIOMYIA
Scudder, 1878c: 755. Type species: Poliomyia
recta Scudder, 1878, by monotypy.
recta Scudder, 1878c: 755. NE: USA (Eocene) [C].