Diagnosis. Small to large (about 2-12 mm) flies; body colour ranging from yellowish to dark greyish or brownish, sometimes reddish. Head generally with rounded first flagellomere, arista bare to plumose; vibrissae present; postocellar setae convergent. Thorax with distinct dorsocentral setae; acrostichal setae often not conspicuous except for prescutellar acrostichal setae. Wing membrane hyaline or with markings or infuscations; C with subcostal break and usually with a series of conspicuous spines; CuA2 + A1 almost extending to wing margin (except in Trixoscelis). Legs often with distinct setae, in males sometimes with modifications. Abdomen rather narrow though sometimes swollen in female.
Biology. Larvae of the Heleomyzinae mainly are saprophagous and have been recorded from various kind of decaying organic matter (carrion, faeces, fungi), animal burrows and bird's nests. Larvae of Heteromyzinae and Suilliinae were recorded from fungi, the former also from bird's nests. Adults of the mentioned subfamilies can often be found on the same substrate that larvae are found in. Little is known about Trixoscelis. One non-indigenous species was reared from a bird's nest, another was associated with pigeon guano. Several of the Dutch species seem to prefer coastal habitats. Adults are usually swept from low vegetation or found sitting on bare soil.
General references. Chandler & Drake (2016 [Trixoscelis]), Czerny (1924 [keys, out of date]), Gill & Peterson (1987 [general, key to genera]), Gorodkov (1984c [catalogue Heleomyzinae, Heteromyzinae, Suillinae]), D.K. McAlpine (1985 [generic classification]), Papp (1981 [key in Hungarian], 1998g [general, systematics, key to genera]), Papp & Carles-Tolrá (1994 [Schroederella]), Teskey (1987b [Trixoscelidinae, general]), Withers (1987 [Suillia]), Woźnica (1987 [Gymnomus]).
References to the local fauna. Martinek (1996), De Meijere (1920a), Papp (1981), Schmitz (1909), Theowald (1953), Van der Weele (2013).
How to quote this page: Beuk, P.L.Th., 2022. Family Heleomyzidae. In: Beuk, P.L.Th. (Ed.): Checklist of the Diptera of the Netherlands, https://diptera-info.nl/news.php?fam=Heleomyzidae (date accessed: 13/06/2026).
NL: 50
B: 44
D: 49
UK: 62
World: 440
HELEOMYZIDAE
HELEOMYZINAE
Heleomyzini
Gymnomus Loew, 1863
amplicornis (Czerny, 1924)
Note 1
= spectabilis (Loew, 1862): misident. sensu Schmitz, 1909
caesia (Meigen, 1830)
Heleomyza Fallén, 1810
= Helomyza Fallén, 1820: emend.
= Leria Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830
= Blephariptera Macquart, 1835
= Blepharoptera Agassiz, 1846: emend.
subg. Heleomyza Fallén, 1810
breviciliata (Schmitz, 1917)
modesta (Meigen, 1838)
serrata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Morpholeria Garrett, 1921
subg. Spanoparea Czerny, 1924
ruficornis (Meigen, 1830)
Neoleria Malloch, 1919
inscripta (Meigen, 1830)
maritima (Villeneuve, 1921)
N; added by Woźnica & Andrade (2008: 53)
ruficeps (Zetterstedt, [1838])
= crepusculascens (Schmitz, 1917)
T
Schroederella Enderlein, 1920
iners (Meigen, 1830)
added by Theowald (1953: 67)
Scoliocentra Loew, 1862
subg. Scoliocentra Loew, 1862
dupliciseta (Strobl, 1894)
scutellaris (Zetterstedt, 1838)
= villosa (Meigen, 1830): misident. sensu Czerny, 1924
villosa (Meigen, 1830)
N
= villosula Czerny, 1924
Oecotheini
Eccoptomera Loew, 1862
emarginata Loew, 1862
filata Loew, 1862
N
longiseta (Meigen, 1830)
N
microps (Meigen, 1830)
myopina (Zetterstedt, 1847)
obscura (Meigen, 1830)
N
= excisa Loew, 1862
pallescens (Meigen, 1830)
Oecothea Haliday in Curtis, 1837
Note 2
= Aecothea Haliday, 1838
fenestralis (Fallén, 1820)
N
praecox Loew, 1862
N
HETEROMYZINAE
Heteromyza Fallén, 1820
= Thelida Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830
atricornis Meigen, 1830
N
commixta Collin, 1901
oculata Fallén, 1820
N
rotundicornis (Zetterstedt, 1846)
N; added by Papp (1981: 72)
Note 3
Tephrochlaena Czerny, 1924
oraria Collin, 1943
N; added by Van der Weele (2013: 35)
Tephrochlamys Loew, 1862
flavipes (Zetterstedt, 1838)
N
laeta (Meigen, 1830)
N
rufiventris (Meigen, 1830)
N
= canescens (Meigen, 1830)
= atricornis (Meigen, 1830): misident. sensu auct.
N; added by Van Zuijlen & Van der Leij (2020a: 363) and Mol et al. (2020: 132)
nemorum (Meigen, 1830)
notata (Meigen, 1830)
N
= pectoralis (Loew, 1862)
oxyphora (Mik, 1900)
N; will be formally added by Beuk & Van Zuijlen (in prep.)
pallida (Fallén, 1820)
N
= olens (Meigen, 1830)
= testacea (Zetterstedt, 1838)
similis (Meigen, 1838)
N
ustulata (Meigen, 1830)
N; will be formally added by Beuk & Van Zuijlen (in prep.)
variegata (Loew, 1862)
N
TRIXOSCELIDINAE
Trixoscelis Rondani, 1856
Note 5
= Trichoscelis Czerny, 1927: emend.
frontalis (Fallén, 1823)
N
marginella (Fallén, 1823)
N
obscurella (Fallén, 1823)
N
pedestris (Loew, 1865)
similis Hackman, 1970
N; will be formally added by Beuk & Van Zuijlen (in prep.)
Notes
Note 1
De Meijere (1920a: 185) first used the name amplicornis for this species and gave it a distinguishing character (size of antennal segments). The question is whether this constitutes a valid description or proposal of a new name. If this name is attributed to De Meijere, a lectotype should be designated. Before that, it should be checked in the code whether De Meijere’s name fulfills all necessary requirements for serving as an older (secondary) homonym. It is possible that the new code lets precede Czerny’s name and renders De Meijere’s name unavailable.
Woźnica (2006) transferred this species to Gymnomus.
Note 2
Spelling fixed by ICZN (1995: 104-105).
Note 3
Again added by Martinek (1996: 54).
Note 4
The status of H. rufa should be checked.
Note 5
Systematic placement according to D.K. McAlpine (1985).
The latest revisions at different levels
The family introduction was last edited on 12-04-2016 12:54
Tephrochlaena was the last (sub)genus to be edited on 28-12-2013 14:25
Suillia imberbis was the last (sub)species to be edited on 30-03-2022 16:12
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