The Heleomyzidae are a small family of true flies in the insectorderDiptera. Over 740 described species of Heleomyzidae occur in about 76 generaand 22tribes distributed throughout the world; the greatest number occur in the Holarctic region. Around 100 species of Heleomyzidae are found in North America. Larvae feed on decaying plant and animal matter, mushrooms, and various fungi. Most of the subfamilies have been commonly recognized as families in the past, but are now included within the Heleomyzidae. The composition and monophyly of the family continues to be controversial. McAlpine recently combined Heleomyzidae and Sphaeroceridae into Heteromyzidae, but this arrangement has not been widely accepted. Heleomyzidae are small to medium-sized flies which vary in colour from yellow to reddish yellow or reddish brown to black. The wings often have small but distinctly longer, well-spaced spines mixed with the shorter spines along the leading edge and the crossveins are often clouded. Adults of Borboroides and Heleomicra are attracted to carcasses and faeces. The larvae of the HolarcticSuillinae and Tapeigaster occur principally in fungi. Larvae of Cairnsimyia live in borer tunnels in trees.
Identification
Palaearctic
Czerny, L., 1924. Monographie der Helomyziden. Abhandlung der Zoologischen-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien, 15: 1–166. Keys genera and species.
Czerny, L., 1937. Ergänzungen zu meiner Monographie der Helomyziden. X. Konowia, 16: 137–142.
Gorodkov, K.B., 1984. Family Heleomyzidae, 15–45.In: Soós Á. and L. Papp,, Catalogue of Palaearctic Diptera, vol.10, Budapest.
Papp, T.,1978. Some cavernicolous Diptera of the Geneva Museum. Revue Suisse de Zoologie 85: 99-106.
Papp, T., 1998. Heleomyzidae. Chapter 3.41, 439–455. In: Papp L. and B. Darvas,, Contribution to a manual of Palaearctic Diptera. Vol. 3. 1998. Science Herald, Budapest, 880 pp.
Gill, G.D., 1962. The Heleomyzid flies of America north of Mexico. Proceedings of the U.S. National Museum, 113: 495–603. Keys genera and species.
Gill, G.D and B.V. Peterson, 1987.1989. Heleomyzidae, 973–980. In:McAlpine J. F.,, Manual of Nearctic Diptera Vol. 2, Research Branch Agric. Canada, Monograph no. 28, IV + 675–1332. Keys genera and species.
Australasia
McAlpine, D.K., 1985. The Australian genera of Heleomyzidae and a reclassification of the family into tribes. Records of the Australian Museum, 36: 203–251.
