Diagnosis. Very small to medium-sized flies of 1-11 mm. Body usually dark coloured. Head very variable in shape; many setae may be absent or present; arista may be distinctly pectinate, plumose or (almost) bare; subcranial cavity may be small to very large. Thorax dull to shining, with few to many setae. Wings hyaline to extensively darkened or patterned, costa with humeral and subcostal breaks, Sc incomplete, cell cup open. Legs occasionally with ventral armature, fore legs raptorial in Ochthera. Abdomen dull to glossy, often somewhat flattened.
Biology. Most species have aquatic or semi-aquatic larvae that may have developed structural or physiological adaptations to specific habitats. Larvae can be found in fresh water to very saline habitats, where they live of algae, bacteria, yeasts or even decaying animal matter and excrements; or they are phytophagous and mining in leaves or stems. Adults often are found on or near the soil in humid or wet habitats where they mate, oviposit or feed on a wide variety of matters like algae, honeydew, carrion, etc. Otherwise, adults may be found at some distance from humidity, e.g. on tree trunks and in vegetation. Some species have been recorded as pests in crops and greenhouses.
References to the local fauna. Canzoneri (1996), Doorman (1962), Hollmann-Schirrmacher (1998), Mathis (1982), Mathis & Zatwarnicki (1995, 2007), De Meijere (1907, 1928a, 1939b, 1946a), Mol (1984), Theowald (1952d), Wirth (1975), Van der Wulp & De Meijere (1898), Zatwarnicki (1987).
Remarks. The suprageneric classification follows Zatwarnicki (2023).
How to quote this page: Beuk, P.L.Th., & T. Zatwarnicki, 2024. Family Ephydridae. In: Beuk, P.L.Th. (Ed.): Checklist of the Diptera of the Netherlands, https://diptera-info.nl/news.php?fam=Ephydridae (date accessed: 06/02/2025).
N; first recorded in original checklist (Beuk & Zatwarnicki, 2002)
Note 1
palustris (Fallén, 1823)
N
Ephydra Fallén, 1810
macellaria Egger, 1862
= riparia Fallén, 1813: misident. sensu De Meijere, 1946
macellaria Egger, 1862
riparia Fallén, 1813
N
= macellaria Egger, 1862: misident. sensu auct.; pro parte
scholtzi Becker, 1896
N; added by Wirth (1975: 19)
= riparia Fallén, 1813: misident. sensu auct.; pro parte
Paracoenia Cresson, 1935
fumosa (Stenhammar, 1844)
N
Setacera Cresson, 1930
aurata (Stenhammar, 1844)
N; added by Mathis (1982: 26)
= micans (Haliday, 1833): misident. sensu auct.; pro parte
breviventris (Loew, 1860)
N; added by Wind et al. (2023: 51)
micans (Haliday, 1833)
Hyadinini
Axysta Haliday, 1839
cesta (Haliday, 1833)
N
clausseni Stuke, 2022
N; added by Wind et al. (2023: 62)
Hyadina Haliday, 1839
guttata (Fallén, 1813)
humeralis Becker, 1896
Note 2
rufipes (Meigen, 1830)
= nitida (Macquart, 1835)
scutellata (Haliday, 1839)
Lytogaster Becker, 1896
abdominalis (Stenhammar, 1844)
N; added by Wind & Dek (2018: 75)
Nostima Coquillett, 1900
Note 3
picta (Fallén, 1813)
picta (Fallén, 1813)
semialata (Collin, 1913)
N; added by Wind et al. (2023: 63)
Parydroptera Collin, 1913
discomyzina Collin, 1913
N; added by Wind & Dek (2018: 78)
Pelina Curtis, 1837
aenea (Fallén, 1813)
N; added by Wind et al. (2023: 64)
aenescens (Stenhammar, 1844)
N
similis Papp, 1974
N
Note 4
= aenea (Fallén, 1813): misident. sensu auct.
subpunctata Becker, 1896
N; added by Wind & Dek (2018: 79)
Philygria Stenhammar, 1844
Note 5
femorata Stenhammar, 1844
N; added by Hollmann-Schirrmacher (1998: 73)
= interrupta (Haliday, 1833): misident. sensu Van der Wulp & De Meijere, 1898
flavipes (Fallén, 1823)
interrupta (Haliday, 1833)
interstincta (Fallén, 1813)
= maculipennis (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830)
= sexmaculata Becker, 1896
punctatonervosa (Fallén, 1813)
stictica (Meigen, 1830)
vittipennis (Zetterstedt, 1838)
N; synonymy pointed out by Hollmann-Schirrmacher (1998: 85)
= trilineata De Meijere, 1907
T
Parydrini
Parydra Stenhammar, 1844
subg. Chaetoapnaea Hendel, 1930
fossarum (Haliday, 1833)
pusilla (Meigen, 1830)
quadripunctata (Meigen, 1830)
= littoralis (Meigen, 1830): misident. sensu Van der Wulp & De Meijere, 1898
subg. Paranapaea Hendel, 1930
pubera Loew, 1860
N
subg. Parydra Stenhammar, 1844
aquila (Fallén, 1813)
N
coarctata (Fallén, 1813)
hecate (Haliday, 1833)
N
= nigritarsis Strobl, 1893: misident. sensu De Meijere, 1928
littoralis (Meigen, 1830)
N; added by Wind & Dek (2018: 77)
nubecula Becker, 1896
N
Scatellini
Haloscatella Mathis, 1979
dichaeta (Loew, 1860)
N
Lamproscatella Hendel, 1917
sibilans (Haliday, 1833)
N
= pilosigenis (Becker, 1896)
Limnellia Malloch, 1925
fallax (Czerny, 1903)
quadrata (Fallén, 1813)
stenhammari (Zetterstedt, 1846)
Philotelma Becker, 1896
defectum (Haliday, 1833)
Note 6
= nigripenne (Meigen, 1830): misident. sensu De Meijere , 1935
parvum (Kramer, 1917)
N; added by Wind et al. (2023: 53)
rossii (Canzoneri & Meneghini, 1979)
Note 6
= defectum (Haliday, 1833): misident. sensu De Meijere, 1935
Scatella Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830
subg. Neoscatella Malloch, 1933
silacea Loew, 1860
N; added by Wind et al. (2023: 54)
subguttata (Meigen, 1830)
= aestuans (Haliday, 1833)
subg. Scatella Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830
ciliata Collin, 1930
N; added by Wind et al. (2023: 55)
lacustris (Meigen, 1830)
N; first listed by Zatwarnicki & A.G. Irwin (2018: 96), formally added as tenuicosta by Wind & Dek (2018: 80)
= tenuicosta Collin, 1930
lutosa (Haliday, 1833)
paludum (Meigen, 1830)
= sorbillans (Haliday, 1839)
stagnalis (Fallén, 1813)
Scatophila Becker, 1896
caviceps (Stenhammar, 1844)
N
cribrata (Stenhammar, 1844)
N
Note 7
despecta (Haliday, 1839)
N
mesogramma (Loew, 1869)
N; added by Zatwarnicki (1987: 283)
Note 8
noctula (Meigen, 1830)
N
= flavitarsis (Zetterstedt, 1846)
= laevigata (Loew, 1860)
quadriguttata (Meigen, 1830)
N
signata (Loew, 1860)
N
unicornis Czerny, 1900
N; first recorded in original checklist (Beuk & Zatwarnicki, 2002)
Note 9
Teichomyza Macquart, 1835
fusca Macquart, 1835
N
GYMNOMYZINAE
Discocerinini
Diclasiopa Hendel, 1917
lacteipennis (Loew, 1862)
N; added by Mathis & Zatwarnicki (1995: 164)
Note 10
Discocerina Macquart, 1835
subg. Discocerina Macquart, 1835
obscurella (Fallén, 1813)
N
Ditrichophora Cresson, 1924
amoena (Duda, 1942)
added by Zatwarnicki (2022: 409)
calceata (Meigen, 1830)
N
fuscella (Stenhammar, 1844)
N
Note 11
= pulicaria (Haliday, 1839): misident. sensu auct.
palliditarsis (Becker, 1896)
N
= albifrons (Meigen, 1830): preocc.
Gymnoclasiopa Hendel, 1930
aulisioi (Canzoner, 1976)
N; added by Wind et al. (2023: 57)
cinerella (Stenhammar, 1844)
N; added by Canzoneri (1996: 53, 197)
nigerrima (Strobl, 1893)
N; first recorded in original checklist (Beuk & Zatwarnicki, 2002)
Note 12
plumosa (Fallén, 1813)
N
pulchella (Meigen, 1830)
added by Dek (2024: 9)
Hecamedoides Hendel, 1917
glaucellus (Stenhammar, 1844)
N
Polytrichophora Cresson, 1924
duplosetosa (Becker, 1896)
N; added by Canzoneri (1996: 53, 197)
Gymnomyzini
Athyroglossa Loew, 1860
subg. Athyroglossa Loew, 1860
flaviventris (Meigen, 1830)
N; first recorded in original checklist (Beuk & Zatwarnicki, 2002)
Note 13
glabra (Meigen, 1830)
N
subg. Parathyroglossa Hendel, 1931
ordinata (Becker, 1896)
added by Wind & Dek (2018: 73)
Mosillus Latreille, 1804
subsultans (Fabricius, 1794)
N
= arcuatus Latreille, 1805
Hecamedini
Allotrichoma Becker, 1896
subg. Allotrichoma Becker, 1896
simplex (Loew, 1861)
N; added by Wind et al. (2023: 59)
Hecamede Curtis, 1837
subg. Hecamede Curtis, 1837
albicans (Meigen, 1830)
N
Subpelignus Papp, 1983
limosinus (Becker, 1903)
N; added by Wind et al. (2023: 59)
Ochtherini
Ochthera Latreille, 1802
subg. Ochthera Latreille, 1802
manicata (Fabricius, 1794)
N; added by Wind & Dek (2018: 75)
mantis (De Geer, 1776)
HYDRELLIINAE
= Discomyzinae
Discomyzini
Discomyza Meigen, 1830
incurva (Fallén, 1823)
N
Hydrelliini
Hydrellia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830
= Hydropota Rondani, 1861
albifrons (Fallén, 1813)
N; added by Dek et al. (2023: 71)
albilabris (Meigen, 1830)
N
argyrogenis Becker, 1896
N
cardamines Haliday, 1839
N
Note 14
= lapponica (Stenhammar, 1844): misident. sensu De Meijere, 1907
cochleariae Haliday, 1839
N
Note 15
= nigripes (Zetterstedt, 1838): misident. sensu Van der Wulp & De Meijere, 1898
concolor (Stenhammar, 1844)
N; added by Dek et al. (2023: 71)
fascitibia (von Roser, 1840)
N; added by Dek et al. (2023: 72)
flaviceps (Meigen, 1830)
N
flavicornis (Fallén, 1823)
N
fulviceps (Stenhammar, 1833)
N
= chrysostoma (Meigen, 1830): misident. sensu Van der Wulp & De Meijere, 1898
fusca (Stenhammar, 1844)
griseola (Fallén, 1813)
N
ischiaca Loew, 1862
N; added by Dek et al. (2023: 73)
maculiventris (Becker, 1896)
N; added by Dek et al. (2023: 74)
maura Meigen, 1838
N
= modesta Loew, 1860
mutata (Zetterstedt, 1846)
nigricans (Stenhammar, 1844)
N; added by Dek et al. (2023: 76)
nigriceps (Meigen, 1830)
added by Mathis & Zatwarnicki (1995: 83)
Note 16
obscura (Meigen, 1830)
N
parafrontosa (Papp, 1983)
N; added by Dek et al. (2023: 77)
porphyrops Haliday, 1839
N; added by Canzoneri (1996: 53, 197)
ranunculi Haliday, 1839
= incana (Stenhammar, 1844)
stratiotae Hering, 1925
Note 17
subalbiceps Collin, 1966
N; added by Dek et al. (2023: 78)
Note 18
tarsata Haliday, 1839
N
thoracica Haliday, 1839
N
Notiphilini
Note 19
Dichaeta Meigen, 1830
Note 20
caudata (Fallén, 1813)
= brevicauda (Loew, 1860)
Notiphila Fallén, 1810
subg. Agrolimna Cresson, 1917
uliginosa Haliday, 1839
venusta Loew, 1856
subg. Notiphila Fallén, 1810
annulipes Stenhammar, 1844
brunipes (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830)
= stagnicola Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830: misident. sensu Van der Wulp & De Meijere, 1898
= chamaeleon Becker, 1896
= brunnipes (Loew, 1905): emend.
cinerea Fallén, 1813
dorsata Stenhammar, 1844
graecula Becker, 1926
N; added by Dek et al. (2024: 35)
guttiventris Stenhammar, 1844
N; added by Dek et al. (2024: 38)
maculata Stenhammar, 1844
nigricornis Stenhammar, 1844
nubila Dahl, 1973
N; added by Dek et al. (2024: 38)
riparia Meigen, 1830
stagnicola (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830)
N; added by Dek et al. (2024: 39)
Note 21
umbrosa Drake, 2001
N; added by Dek et al. (2024: 41)
Psilopini
Diasemocera Bezzi, 1895
Note 22
glabricula (Fallén, 1813)
Note 23
= nigritella (Stenhammar, 1844)
leucostoma (Meigen, 1830)
N
Note 24
marginella (Fallén, 1823)
N; added by Wind et al. (2023: 50)
nana Loew, 1860
N
Note 25
roederi Girschner, 1889
N; added by Theowald (1952d: 131)
Note 26
Psilopa Fallén, 1823
= Ephygrobia Schiner, 1862
compta (Meigen, 1830)
nitidula (Fallén, 1813)
polita (Macquart, 1835)
N; added by Canzoneri (1996: 53, 197)
Trimerina Macquart, 1835
madizans (Fallén, 1813)
LIPOCHAETINAE
= Ilytheinae
Atissini
Atissa Curtis, 1837
pygmaea (Haliday, 1833)
N
Schema Becker, 1907
durrenbergensis (Loew, 1864)
N; added by Wind et al. (2023: 60)
Ilytheini
Ilythea Haliday, 1839
spilota (Curtis, 1832)
N
Lipochaetini
Glenanthe Haliday, 1839
fuscinervis Becker, 1896
N
Note 27
= ripicola (Haliday, 1839): misident. sensu auct.
Doubtful species
Hydrellia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830
geniculata (Stenhammar, 1844)
occurrence according to Fauna Europaea (as geniculata flavitarsis)
Note 28
= flavitarsis (Stenhammar, 1844)
Notes
Note 1
Material examined: NEDERLAND: no locality given (1 [m]: leg. J.C.H. de Meijere [ZMAN]); GELDERLAND: Doetinchem (1 [f]: 6.vi.1922, leg. J.C.H. de Meijere [ZMAN]); NOORD-HOLLAND: Amsterdam (Koenenkade, 1 [m]: 6.vi.1922, leg. J.C.H. de Meijere [ZMAN]), Hilversum (1 [m]: 20.ix.1904, leg. J.C.H. de Meijere [ZMAN]; 1 [m], 1 [f]: 23.iii.1905, leg. J.C.H. de Meijere [ZMAN]; 1 [m]: 20.iv.1905, leg. J.C.H. de Meijere [ZMAN]; 1 [m]: 28.viii.1906, leg. J.C.H. de Meijere [ZMAN]; 1 [m]: 9.iv.1909, leg. J.C.H. de Meijere [ZMAN]; 1 [m]: 23.vii.1909, leg. J.C.H. de Meijere [ZMAN]); OVERIJSSEL: Denekamp (2 [f][f]: 29.vii.1917, leg. J.C.H. de Meijere [ZMAN]), Oldenzaal (1 [f]: 29.vii.1917, leg. J.C.H. de Meijere [ZMAN]). All det. T. Zatwarnicki.
Note 2
Again added by Canzoneri (1996: 53, 197).
Note 3
Nostima is treated as valid genus following Edmiston & Mathis (2005) and placed in the tribe Hyadinini following Hollmann-Schirmacher (1998).
Note 4
All material under P. aenea at the ZMAN that was checked proved to belong to P. similis. The material recorded by Canzoneri (1996: 53, 197) could not be examined and may still prove to belong to P. aenea.
Note 5
Philygria is placed in the tribe Hyadinini following Hollmann-Schirmacher (1998).
Note 6
Misidentification pointed out by Mathis et al. (2009).
Note 7
Part of the material initially recorded as S. cribrata by Van der Wulp & De Meijere (1898: 133) was later attributed to S. signata. De Meijere (1939b) does not list S. cribrata anymore but it is not clear whether this is due to the fact that the remaining material could not be checked or was identified to another species. Material was examined by Zatwarnicki recently, so this species can be maintained on the Dutch list.
Note 8
Material examined: LIMBURG: Pietersberg (1 [m]: 26.vii.1907, leg. J.C.H. de Meijere [ZMAN]). Det. T. Zatwarnicki as S. infantina Becker (= mesogramma Loew).
Note 9
Material examined: NEDERLAND: no locality given (3 [m][m]: leg. Plantenziektenkundige Dienst [ZMAN]); NOORD-HOLLAND: Aalsmeer (1 [m], 1 [f]: vii.1939, leg. Plantenziektenkundige Dienst [ZMAN]); ZUID-HOLLAND: Leimuiden (1 [f]: 26.ix.1922, leg. J.C.H. de Meijere [ZMAN]). All det. T. Zatwarnicki.
Note 10
This species was listed for the Netherlands by Mathis & Zatwarnicki (1995: 164). Material examined: NOORD-HOLLAND: Amsterdam (1 [f]: 14.vi.1931, leg. J.C.H. de Meijere [ZMAN]), det. T. Zatwarnicki.
Note 11
Erroneously attributed to Haliday, 1839 in Beuk & Zatwarnicki, 2002).
Note 12
Material examined: NOORD-HOLLAND: Amsterdam (N.A.M., 1 [f]: 26.vii.1933, leg. G. Kruseman [ZMAN]). Det. T. Zatwarnicki.
Note 13
Material examined: ZUID-HOLLAND: Den Haag (1 [f]: 10.iv, leg. F.M. van der Wulp [ZMAN]). Det. T. Zatwarnicki.
Note 14
Again added as cardamines by Doorman (1962: 191). Zatwarnicki examined the Dutch material of H. lapponica and concluded that it was identical to H. cardamines. At present, the status of H. lapponica is not clear and it may wel be that it proves to be a junior synonym of H. cardamines.
Note 15
Erroneously ascribed to Zatwarnicki, 1988, by Beuk & Zatwarnicki (2002: 308 ).
Note 16
This species was listed by Mathis & Zatwarnicki (1995: 83) but the source of their record is not given.
Note 17
Though first listed as misidentification of tarsata it is now treated a valid species by Zatwarnicki (2022: 402) who lists the same material as recorded by De Meijere (1928a: 45).
Placement of Notiphilini in Hydrellinae following Mathis & Zatwarnicki (2007).
Note 20
Treated as valid genus following Mathis & Zatwarnicki (2007).
Note 21
This species was earlier mentioned for the Netherlands by Mathis & Zatwarnicki (1995: 112) on the basis of the misidentification listed by De Meijere (1939b: 162). No material under this name is deposited in De Meijere's collection at RMNH.
Note 22
Resurrected from synonymy with Psilopa by Zatwarnicki (2018).
Note 23
Synonymy pointed out by Zatwarnicki (2018: 539).
Note 24
Transferredfrom Psilopa by Zatwarnicki (2018: 539).
Note 25
Transferredfrom Psilopa by Zatwarnicki (2018: 540).
Note 26
Transferred from Psilopa by Zatwarnicki (2018: 544).
Note 27
Misidentification pointed out by Zatwarnicki & Mathis (2011: 427).
Note 28
Occurrence in the Netherlands could not be confirmed, see Dek et al. (2023: 69).
The latest revisions at different levels
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