Bibionomorpha

      March flies and allies
      March fly, Bibio marci
      Scientific classification
      Kingdom: Animalia
      Phylum: Arthropoda
      Class: Insecta
      Order: Diptera
      Suborder: Nematocera
      Infraorder: Bibionomorpha
      Families

      The Bibionomorpha are an infraorder of the order Nematocera. One of its constituent families, the Anisopodidae, is the presumed sister taxon to the entire suborder Brachycera. Several of the remaining families in the infraorder (those shown without common names) are former subfamilies of the Mycetophilidae, which has been recently subdivided. The family Axymyiidae has recently been removed from the Bibionomorpha to its own infraorder Axymyiomorpha.

      Most of the flies in the Bibionomorpha are saprophages or fungivores as larvae, aside from the Cecidomyiidae, which are gall-formers. Some sciarids are common indoor pests, developing large populations in potting soil that has become moldy from overwatering. The larave of Bibionidae sometimes migrate in large, snake-like masses to minimize dehydration while seeking a new feeding site.

      Extinct families

      The extinct bibionomorph fauna follows:

        • Cascopleciidae Middle? Cretaceous; Myanmar
        • Eopleciidae extinct (Lower Jurassic)
        • Oligophryneidae extinct (Upper Triassic)
        • Paraxymyiidae extinct (Middle Jurassic)
        • Protobibionidae extinct (Middle Jurassic)
        • Protopleciidae extinct (Pan Jurassic)
        • Protorhyphidae extinct (Upper Triassic)
        • Protoscatopsidae extinct (Middle Jurassic)
      • Superfamily Pleciodictyidea extinct
        • Pleciodictyidae - (Upper Triassic)
      • Superfamily Protoligoneuridea extinct
        • Protoligoneuridae - (Upper Triassic)
      • Superfamily Fungivoridea
        • Pleciofungivoridae extinct (Upper Triassic) (Lower and Middle Jurassic)
        • Palaeopleciidae extinct (Upper Triassic)
        • Pleciomimidae extinct (Lower and Middle Jurassic)
        • Archizelmiridae extinct (Middle Jurassic)
        • Fungivoritidae extinct (Middle and Upper Jurassic)
        • Tipulopleciidae extinct (Middle Jurassic)
        • Sinemediidae extinct (Middle Jurassic)
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      Last modified on 13 March 2013, at 07:22