Family HELEOMYZIDAE

 

Heleomyzidae are a fairly successful and diverse group of acalypterate flies containing approximately 500 described fossil and living species in some 70 genera worldwide. Generic composition of the family differs among workers and much needs to be done to standardize the generic concepts in the family. Little is known about the life histories of these flies. Adults are attracted to carcasses and feces and can also be found in moist sylvan habitats in association with the various larval situations. Larvae are saprophagous and have been recorded from a variety of types of decaying organic matter including carrion, excrement, and fungi.


In addition to the determined forms listed below, the family has also been recorded (as "Trixoscelididae") from the Oligocene/Miocene amber deposits of the Dominican Republic (Poinar, 1992).

 

Genus CHAETOHELOMYZA Hennig

CHAETOHELOMYZA Hennig, 1965: 148. Type species: Chaetohelomyza electrica Hennig, 1965, by monotypy.

electrica Hennig, 1965: 148. PA: Baltic Region (Eocene/Oligocene) [A].

 

Genus ELECTROLERIA Hennig

ELECTROLERIA Hennig, 1965: 151. Type species: Leria alacris Meunier, 1904, by original designation.

alacris Meunier, 1904e: 25 (Leria). PA: Baltic Region (Eocene/Oligocene) [A].

 

Genus HELEOMYZA Fallén

*HELEOMYZA Fallén, 1810: 19. Type species: Musca serrata Linnaeus, 1758, by monotypy.
*LERIA Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830: 653. Type species: Leria domestica Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 [= Musca serrata Linnaeus, 1758], by subsequent designation of Rondani (1866b: 5, 42).

bauckhorni Meunier, 1915c: 208. PA: Germany (Oligocene) [C].
fagei Timon-David, 1944: 133. PA: France (Oligocene) [C].
humilis Meunier, 1910c: 143. AF: Tanzania (Pleistocene/Holocene) [K]. [Preoccupied by Meigen, 1830; no new replacement name proposed here.]
insatiabilis Meunier, 1910c: 145 (Leria). AF: Ghana (Holocene) [K].
insaturabilis Meunier, 1910c: 144 (Leria). AF: Madagascar (Holocene) [K].
oligocenica Théobald, 1937a: 255. PA: France (Oligocene) [C].

 

Genus HETEROMYZA Fallén

*HETEROMYZA Fallén, 1820a: 1. Type species: Heteromyza oculata Fallén, 1820, by subsequent designation of Westwood (1840: 145).
HETEROMYIELLA Cockerell, 1915a: 644. Type species: Heteromyiella miocenica Cockerell, 1915, by monotypy.

detecta Scudder, 1877a: 758. NE: USA (Eocene) [C].
dubia Meunier, 1904e: 25. PA: Baltic Region (Eocene/Oligocene) [A].
miocenica Cockerell, 1915a: 644 (Heteromyiella). NE: USA (Oligocene) [C].
senilis Scudder, 1877b: 276. NE: Canada (Oligocene) [C].

 

Genus LERIELLA Meunier

LERIELLA Meunier, 1908g: 255. Type species: Leriella crassifemorata Meunier, 1908, by monotypy.

crassifemorata Meunier, 1908g: 255. AF: Tanzania (Pleistocene/Holocene) [K].

 

Genus PROTOSUILLIA Hennig

PROTOSUILLIA Hennig, 1965: 145. Type species: Helomyza media Meunier, 1904, by original designation.

media Meunier, 1904e: 22 (Helomyza). PA: Baltic Region (Eocene/Oligocene) [A].

 

Genus SUILLIA Robineau-Desvoidy

*SUILLIA Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830: 642. Type species: Suillia fungorum Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 [= Heleomyza rufa Fallén, 1820], by subsequent designation of Coquillett (1910: 610).

major Meunier, 1904e: 22 (Helomyza). PA: Baltic Region (Eocene/Oligocene) [A].

 

Genus TRIXOSCELIS Rondani

*TRIXOSCELIS Rondani, 1856: 134. Type species: Geomyza obscurella Fallén, 1823, by original designation.

patefacta Melander, 1949: 53. NE: USA (Oligocene) [C].