Coenomyiidae Westwood, 1838

Rudolf Rozkošný

Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, CZ-611 37 Brno, Czech Republic; rozk@sci.muni.cz

The family Coenomyiidae resembles some Tabanidae but is most closely related to the Xylophagidae. The single European species is mostly large (12.0-22.0 mm), stout, yellowish-brown to brownish-black. Eyes densely haired, contiguous in males and well-separated in females. Basal antennal segments short, and flagellum consisting of 8 flagellomeres. Thorax robust and scutellum armed with two spines; apical spurs distinct on all tibiae. The larvae are characterised by the dark head capsule and a large sclerotised posterodorsal anal plate. The larvae live under bark and in decaying wood, and are considered to be predaceous upon other insect larvae. Adults occur mostly in old humid forests.

The single European species is Holarctic in distribution and is well-known in virtually all parts of the Czech Republic as well as in Slovakia (Rozkošný 1997). It is included in the Fauna Europaea (Rozkošný 2005) and in a review of the Palaearctic genera of this family (Nagatomi & Rozkošný 1997).

For financial support, the Ministry of Education of the Czech Republic and the Masaryk University, Brno (grant No. MSM 0021622416 ) are acknowledged.

References

[1] Nagatomi A. & Rozkošný R. 1997: Family Coenomyiidae. In Papp L. & Darvas B. (eds): Contributions to a Manual of Palaearctic Diptera (with special reference to flies of economic importance). Vol. 2. Nematocera and Lower Brachycera. Science Herald, Budapest, pp. 421-426.

[2] Rozkošný R. 1997: Coenomyiidae. In Chvála M. (ed.): Check List of Diptera (Insecta) of the Czech and Slovak Republics. Karolinum, Charles University Press, p. 43.

[3] Rozkošný R. 2005: Fauna Europaea: Coenomyiidae. In Pape T. (ed.): Fauna Europaea: Diptera, Brachycera. Fauna Europaea, version 1.2, http://www.faunaeur.org.