Members of the Micropezidae, commonly called stilt flies, consist of slender,
long-legged flies found in most areas worldwide (some 500 species in about
40 genera). They are found predominantly in tropical regions, but their
range extends in some temperate areas. Adults of extant forms are either
predaceous on small insects or are attracted to animal excrement and decaying
vegetation. The biologies of immatures is sparse, but those known have been
recorded feeding upon roots and root nodules. Larvae of a wingless micropezid
in Western Australia were found in the pitchers of the Albany pitcher plant,
Cephalotus follicularis Labill. where they feed on decaying pitcher
plant prey (Yeates, 1992).
Bachofen-Echt (1949) recorded three species of Baltic amber Calobata,
but only one Baltic amber species has been described; it was placed in the
genus Electrobata by Hennig (1965). In addition to the described
taxa listed below, Hurd et al. (1962: 110) recorded undetermined
material of this family from the Miocene amber of Chiapas, Mexico and Kohring
& Schlüter (1989) recorded an undetermined specimen from the Pliocene
Simetits amber depsoits of Sicily.
TREPIDARIA Meigen, 1800: 35. Name suppressed by I.C.Z.N. (1963:
339).
*CALOBATA Meigen, 1803: 276. Type species: Musca petronella
Linnaeus, 1758, by subsequent designation of Westwood (1840: 148).
rottensis Statz, 1940: 148 (Trepidaria). PA: Germany (Oligocene)
[C].
ELECTROBATA Hennig, 1965: 41. Type species: Electrobata myrmecia
Hennig, 1965, by original designation.
myrmecia Hennig, 1965: 48. PA: Baltic Region (Eocene/Oligocene) [A].
tertiaria Meunier, 1908h: 265 (Calobata). PA: Baltic Region
(Eocene/Oligocene) [A].
*MICROPEZA Meigen, 1803: 276. Type species: Musca corrigiolata
Linnaeus, 1767, by monotypy.
prompta Meunier, 1906a: 60. AF: Tanzania (Pleistocene/Holocene) [K].
RAINIERIA Rondani, 1843: 40. Type species: Calobata calceata Fallén, 1820, by original designation.
Undetermined sp. -- NT: Dominican Republic (Oligocene/Miocene) [A] (Grimaldi, 1995).