Overview
Adults of
Lineromyia
and
Agathomyia
run in circles on upper surfaces of leaves. Males of
Microsania
(smoke flies) are often attracted in large numbers, to campfire smoke in cool localities. The known platypezid larvae live in fungi.
Description
Adults can be recognised by the terminal arista and modified hind tarsus, which is swollen or conspicuously compressed and dilated. The larva is ovate and flattened, with lateral projections on the segments.
Linderomyia
, with wing veins M1+2 forked beyond the discal cell, is the most common genus.
Agathomyia
is similar, but has veins M1+2 simple.
Microsania
has very weak wing venation and cell dm is open to the wing margin.
Distribution
There are 19 Australian platypezid species. The genera
Linderomyia
,
Agathomyia
and
Microsania
all have wide distributions outside Australia and all are present in the north-temperate zone. Several platypezid genera are recorded from the Cretaceous of northern Asia and North America.