Sepsidae

Taxobox
name = Sepsidae

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image_width = 250px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
subphylum = Hexapoda
classis = Insecta
subclassis = Pterygota
infraclassis = Neoptera
superordo = Endopterygota|
ordo = Diptera
subordo = Brachycera
zoosubsectio = Acalyptratae
superfamilia = Sciomyzoidea
familia = Sepsidae
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = according to ITIS:
"Orygma
Saltella
Decachaetophora"
"Enicita
Enicomira
Meroplius
Nemopoda
Sepsidimorpha"
"Sepsis
Themira"

Sepsidae are a family of flies, commonly called the black scavenger flies or ensign flies. There are approximately 250 species worldwide. They are usually found around dung or decaying plant and animal material.They resemble ants having a "waist" and glossy black body [http://www.fotonatura.org/miembros/fotos/usr2963/usr2963_gal9.jpg] . Many Sepsidae have a curious wing-waving habit made more apparent by dark patches at the wing end.

Many species have a very wide distribution, reflecting the coprophagous habit of most Sepsidae. Some species have been spread over large territories in association with livestock. Adult flies are found mostly on animal and human excrement (less often on other rotting organic matter), where eggs are laid and larvae develop, and on nearby vegetation, carrion, fermenting tree sap, and shrubs and herbs.

Many Sepsidae apparently play an important biological role as decomposers of animal excrement. Some species may have a limited hygienic importance because of their association with human feces. Others are useful tools in forensic entomology.

Classification

"This list may be incomplete."

*Subfamily Orygmatinae
** Genus "Orygma Meigen 1803
*Subfamily Sepsinae
**Tribe Saltellini
*** Genus "Saltella" Robineau-Desvoidy 1830
**Tribe Sepsini
*** Genus "Archisepsis" Silva 1993
*** Genus "Decachaetophora"
*** Genus "Enicita"
*** Genus "Enicomira"
*** Genus "Meroplius" Rondani 1874
*** Genus "Nemopoda" Robineau-Desvoidy 1830
*** Genus "Ortalischema" Frey 1925
*** Genus "Sepsidimorpha"
*** Genus "Sepsis" Fallén 1810
*** Genus "Themira" Robineau-Desvoidy 1830
*** Genus "Zuskamira" Pont 1987

Identification

*Duda, O. 1926 Monographie der Sepsiden (Dipt.). "Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien" 39 (1925): 1-153 and 40 (1926) : 1-110. This work is partly out of date but still the only review of world genera.
*Willi Hennig, 1949: 39a. "Sepsidae". In Erwin Lindner : "Die Fliegen der Palaearktischen Region", Bd. V: 1-91, Textfig. 1-81a-d, Taf. I-X, Stuttgart.The only comprehensive work on Palaearctic genera and species.
*Adrian C. Pont and Rudolf Meier "The Sepsidae (Diptera) of Europe". Fauna Entomologica Scandinavica Volume 37. 198 pages. ISBN 90-04-12477-2
*A.L. Ozerov "Sepsid Flies (Diptera, Sepsidae) of Russia's Fauna". Studies on the fauna; Archives of the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University: Zool. Mus. Moscow. Univ. Publ.Language: Russian, title, contents and a summary in English. 184 pages. A very well illustrated guide to all 57 species from 11 genera of Sepsidae flies occurring in Russia, with keys to adults and pre-imaginal stages, and accounts concerning anatomy, phylogeny and distribution.

*Silva, V. C. . Revisao da familia Sepsidae na regiao Neotropical. Iii. Os generos Palaeosepsis Duda, 1926, Archisepsis Gen. N. e Microsepsis Gen. N., Chave para os Generos Neotropicais (Diptera, Schizophora).. Iheringia. Série Zoologia, v. 75, p. 117-170, 1993.

*Silva, V. C. . Revision of the family Sepsidae of the Neotropical region. ii. The genus Meropliosepsis Duda, 1926 (Diptera, Schizophora). Revista Brasileira de Entomologia, v. 36, n. 3, p. 549-552, 1992.

World Catalogue

Ozerov, A.L. World catalogue of the family Sepsidae (Insecta: Diptera), "Zoologicheskie issledovania" (Zoological Studies), No. 8 (ISSN 1025-532X)

pecies lists

* [http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=10957 West Palaearctic including Russia]
* [http://www.nearctica.com/nomina/diptera/dips-t.htm#anchor29617 Nearctic]
* [http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/aocat/sepsidae.html Australasian/Oceanian]
* [http://konchudb.agr.agr.kyushu-u.ac.jp/mokuroku/ Japan]

External links

* [http://www.cirrusimage.com/fly_black_scavenger_Sepsidae.htm Black Scavenger Fly - diagnostic photographs]
* [http://delta-intkey.com/britin/dip/www/sepsidae.htm Family description and images]
* [http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=10957 European (including Russia and Turkey) List]
* [http://www.diptera.info/photogallery.php?album_id=46 Images of Sepsidae on Diptera.info]