Metopininae

{{Short description|Subfamily of flies}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = Apocephalus(Mesophora) longistylus, male.jpg | image_caption = ''Apocephalus longistylus'' | display_parents = 2 | taxon = Metopininae | authority = }}

The '''Metopininae''' are the largest subfamily of flies in the family Phoridae, largely due to the inclusion of the extremely species-rich genus Megaselia.<ref>Marshall, Stephen A. (2012). Flies: The Natural History and Diversity of Diptera. Firefly Books. p. 305. {{ISBN|978-1-77085-100-9}}.</ref> Members of this subfamily are widespread and common, with species such as Megaselia scalaris being particularly ubiquitous

==Taxonomy== {{div col|colwidth=21em}}Tribe: Beckerinini *''Beckerina'' Malloch, 1910<ref name="Malloch1910">{{cite journal |last1=Malloch |first1=J.R. |title=Scottish Phoridae, with tables of all the British species, and notes of localities |journal=Scottish Naturalist |date=1910 |volume=1910 |pages=15–21}}</ref> Tribe: Metopinini Peterson 1987<ref name="Peterson1987">{{cite journal |last1=Peterson |first1=B. V. |title=Phoridae. Canada Department of Agriculture Research Branch, Monograph no. 27 |journal=Manual of Nearctic Diptera |date=1987 |volume=2 |pages=689–712}}</ref> *''Acanthophorides'' Borgmeier, 1924<ref name="Borgmeier1924">{{cite journal |last1=Borgmeier |first1=T. |title=Novos generos e especies de phorideos do Brasil |journal=Boletim do Museu Nacional de Rio de Janeiro |date=1924 |volume=1 |pages=167–202}}</ref> *''Acontistoptera'' Brues, 1902<ref name="Brues1902">{{cite journal |last1=Brues |first1=C.T. |title=New and little known guests of the Texan legionary ants |journal=American Naturalist |date=1902 |volume=36 |issue=425 |pages=365–378 |doi=10.1086/278138 |jstor=2453445 |s2cid=84853668 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/2453445.pdf |accessdate=24 October 2020}}</ref> *''Apocephalus'' Coquillett, 1901<ref name="Coquillett1901">{{cite journal |last1=Coquillett |first1=Daniel William |title=[''Apocephalus'' n. gen.]. In: Pergande, the ant decapitating fly |journal=Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington |date=1901 |volume=4 |pages=501 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2299952#page/511/mode/1up |accessdate=24 October 2020}}</ref> *''Auxanommatidia'' Borgmeier, 1924<ref name="Borgmeier1924"/> *''Cataclinusa'' Schmitz, 1927<ref name="Schmitz1927a">{{cite journal |last1=Schmitz |first1=H. |title=Revision der Phoridengattungen mit Beschreibung neuer Gattungen und Arten |journal=Natuurhistorisch Maandblad |date=1927 |volume=16 |pages=72–79}}</ref> *''Chonocephalus'' Wandolleck, 1898<ref name="Wandolleck1898">{{cite journal |last1=Wandolleck |first1=Benno |title=Die Stethopathidae, eine neue flugel- und schwingerlose Familie der Diptera |journal=Zoologischer Jahrbücher (Syst.) |date=1898 |volume=11 |pages=412–441 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/9984071#page/422/mode/1up |accessdate=25 October 2020}}</ref> *''Commoptera'' Brues, 1901<ref name="Brues1901">{{cite journal |last1=Brues |first1=C.T. |title=wo new myrmecophilous genera of aberrant Phoridae from Texas |journal=American Naturalist |date=1901 |volume=35 |issue=413 |pages=337–356|doi=10.1086/277919 |s2cid=14741528 |hdl=2152/31121 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> *''Cremersia'' Schmitz, 1924<ref name="Schmitz1924">{{cite journal |last1=Schmitz |first1=H. |title=Een nieuwe phoride, Cremersia zikani n. g. n. sp. |journal=Natuurhistorisch Maandblad |date=1924 |volume=13 |pages=32–34}}</ref> *''Dacnophora'' Borgmeier, 1961<ref name="Borgmeier1961">{{cite journal |last1=Borgmeier |first1=T. |title=Weitere Beitraege zur Kenntnis der neotropischen Phoriden, nebst Beschreibung einiger Dohrniphora-Arten aus der indo-australischen Region (Diptera, Phoridae) |journal=Studia Entomologica |date=1961 |volume=4 |pages=1–112}}</ref> *''Diocophora'' Borgmeier, 1959<ref name="Borgmeier1959">{{cite journal |last1=Borgmeier |first1=T. |title=Neue und wenig bekannte Phoriden aus der neotropischen Region. Nebst einigen Arten aud dem Belgischen Congo-Gebiet (Diptera, Phoridae) |journal=Studia Entomologica |date=1959 |volume=2 |pages=129–208}}</ref> *''Ecitomyia'' Brues, 1901<ref name="Brues1901"/> *''Ecitoptera'' Borgmeier & Schmitz, 1923<ref name="Schmitz1923">{{cite journal |last1=Schmitz |first1=H. |title=Zwei neue Phoriden aus Argentinien, von H. Schmitz S. J.. |journal=Revista del Museo de La Plata |date=1923 |volume=27 |pages=209–212}}</ref> *''Gymnophora'' Macquart, 1835<ref name="Macquart1835">{{cite book |last1=Macquart |first1=P.J.M. |title=Histoire Naturelle des insectes. Diptères. Tome deuxieme |date=1835 |publisher=Roret |location=Paris |pages=710 pp., 12 pls}}</ref> *''Kerophora'' Brown, 1988<ref name="Brown1988">{{cite journal |last1=Brown |first1=B.V. |title=Additions to the phorid chapter in the Manual of Nearctic Diptera |journal=The Canadian Entomologist |date=1988 |volume=120 |pages=307–322|doi=10.4039/Ent120307-4 |s2cid=84401843 }}</ref> *''Lecanocerus'' Borgmeier, 1962<ref name="Borgmeier1962">{{cite journal |last1=Borgmeier |first1=T. |title=Some new North American species of the dipterous family Phoridae |journal=Revista Brasileira de Biologia |date=1962 |volume=22 |pages=65–82|pmid=13871322 }}</ref> *''Megaselia'' Rondani, 1856<ref name="Rondani1856">{{cite book |last1=Rondani |first1=Camillo |title=Dipterologiae Italicae Prodromus. Vol: I. Genera italica ordinis Dipterorum ordinatim disposita et distincta et in familias et stirpes aggregata. |date=1856 |publisher=A. Stocchi |location=Parmae [= Parma]. |pages=226 + [2] pp}}</ref> *''Melaloncha'' Brues, 1903<ref name="Brues1904">{{cite journal |last1=Brues |first1=Charles Thomas |title=A monograph of the North American Phoridae |journal=Transactions of the American Entomological Society |date=1904 |volume=(1903) 29 |pages=369–404 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/39652#page/47/mode/1up |accessdate=24 October 2020}}</ref> *''Menozziola'' Schmitz, 1927<ref name="Schmitz1927b">{{cite journal |last1=Schmitz |first1=H. |title=Revision der Phoridengattungen mit Beschreibung neuer Gattungen und Arten |journal=Natuurhistorisch Maandblad |date=1927 |volume=16 |pages=92–100}}</ref> *''Metopina'' Macquart, 1835<ref name="Macquart1835"/> *''Microselia'' Schmitz, 1934<ref name="Schmitz1934">{{cite journal |last1=Schmitz |first1=H. |title=Eine neue parasitische Phoride aus dem Mittelmeergebiet. ''Microselia rivierae'' n. g., n. sp. |journal=Brotéria (Serie Ciências Naturais) |date=1934 |volume=3 |pages=10–14}}</ref> *''Myrmosicarius'' Borgmeier, 1928<ref name="Borgmeier1928">{{cite journal |last1=Borgmeier |first1=Thomas|title=Nota previa sobre alguns phorideos que parasitam formigas cortadeiras dos generos Atta e AcroPmyrmex. |journal=Bol. Biol. Lab. Arasit. Fac. Med. S. Paulo |date=1928 |volume=1928 |pages=119–126}}</ref> *''Neodohrniphora'' Malloch, 1914<ref name="Malloch1914">{{cite journal |last1=Malloch |first1=J.R. |title=Costa Rican Diptera collected by Philip P. Calvert, Paper I. A partial report on the Borboridae, Phoridae and Agromyzidae |journal=Transactions of the American Entomological Society |date=1914 |volume=40 |pages=8–36, 1 plate}}</ref> *''Pericyclocera'' Schmitz, 1927<ref name="Schmitz1927c">{{cite journal |last1=Schmitz |first1=H. |title=Klassifikation der Phoriden und Gattungsschluessel [concl.] |journal=Natuurhistorisch Maandblad |date=1927 |volume=16 |pages=19–28}}</ref> *''Phalacrotophora'' Enderlein, 1912<ref name="Enderlein1912">{{cite journal |last1=Enderlein |first1=G. |title=Die Phoridenfauna Süd-Brasiliens |journal=Stettiner Entomologische Zeitung |date=1912 |volume=73 |pages=16–45}}</ref> *''Phymatopterella'' Brues, 1933<ref name="Brues1933">{{cite journal |last1=Brues |first1=C.T. |title=A new genus of Phoridae from Peru. |journal=Psyche: A Journal of Entomology |date=1933 |volume=40 |issue=3 |pages=106–111 |doi=10.1155/1933/63795 |url=http://downloads.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/1933/063795.pdf |accessdate=25 October 2020 |doi-access=free }}</ref> *''Physoptera'' Borgmeier, 1958<ref name="Borgmeier1958">{{cite journal |last1=Borgmeier |first1=Thomaz |title=Neue Beitraege zur Kenntnis der neotropischen Phoriden (Diptera, Phoridae) |journal=Studia Entomologica |date=1958 |volume=1 |pages=305–406}}</ref> *''Pseudacteon'' Coquillett, 1907<ref name="Coquillett1907">{{cite journal |last1=Coquillett |first1=D.W. |title=A new phorid genus with horny ovipositor |journal=The Canadian Entomologist |date=1907 |volume=39 |issue=6 |pages=207–208|doi=10.4039/Ent39207-6 |s2cid=84271314 |url=https://zenodo.org/record/1572524 }}</ref> *''Puliciphora'' Dahl, 1897<ref name="Dahl1897">{{cite journal |last1=Dahl |first1=F.T. |title=Puliciphora, eine neue flohahnliche Fliegengattung |journal=Zoologischer Anzeiger |date=1897 |volume=20 |pages=409–412}}</ref> *''Rhyncophoromyia'' Malloch, 1923<ref name="Malloch1923">{{cite journal |last1=Malloch |first1=John Russell |title=A new genus of Phoridae (Diptera) |journal=Bulletin of the Brooklyn Entomological Society |date=1923 |volume=18 |pages=143–144 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/31051654#page/355/mode/1up |accessdate=25 October 2020}}</ref> *''Stenophorina'' Borgmeier, 1963<ref name="Borgmeier1963">{{cite journal |last1=Borgmeier |first1=T. |title=Revision of the North American Phorid Flies. Part 1. (Dipt. Phoridae) |journal=Studia Entomologica |date=1963 |volume=6 |pages=1–256}}</ref> *''Styletta'' Borgmeier, 1960<ref name="Borgmeier1960">{{cite journal |last1=Borgmeier |first1=T. |title=Nota previa sobre quatro generos novos da familia Phoridae (Diptera) |journal=Studia Entomologica |date=1960 |volume=3 |pages=489–492}}</ref> *''Syneura'' Brues, 1903<ref name="Aldrich1932">{{cite journal |last1=Aldrich |first1=J.M. |title=New Diptera, or two-winged flies, from America, Asia, and Java, with additional notes |journal=Proceedings of the United States National Museum |volume=81 |issue=9 |pages=28 pp., 1 pl |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/7616809#page/269/mode/1up |accessdate=26 October 2020}}</ref> *''Trophithauma'' Schmitz, 1925<ref name="Schmitz1925">{{cite journal |last1=Schmitz |first1=H. |title=''Trophithauma'', eine neue Phoridengattung aus Costa Rica und den Philippinen |journal=Natuurhistorisch Maandblad |date=1925 |volume=14 |pages=40}}</ref> *''Trophodeinus'' Borgmeier, 1960<ref name="Borgmeier1960"/> *''Xanionotum'' Brues, 1902<ref name="Brues1902"/> {{div col end}}

==Ecology== Members of the subfamily '''Metopininae''' exhibit diverse ecological habits, particularly within the large genus ''Megaselia''. Larvae of many species are saprophagous, developing in decaying organic material such as fruit, fungi, or compost, while others act as parasitoids. For example, ''Megaselia scalaris'' has been recorded as a parasitoid of ''Isognathus caricae'' caterpillars.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Disney |first1=R.H.L. |year=2008 |title=A new record of the scuttle fly Megaselia scalaris (Loew) (Diptera: Phoridae) as a parasitoid of Isognathus caricae (L.) (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) |journal=Entomological Communications |volume=20 |pages=1–4 |url=https://entomologicalcommunications.org/index.php/entcom/article/view/ec02020}} </ref> Certain Metopininae species are also regarded as agricultural pests. “Cob flies” (various ''Megaselia'' spp.) are known to infest sweet corn, where larvae feed on developing kernels.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Cob Flies, Megaselia spp. (Insecta: Diptera: Phoridae) |journal=Entomology and Nematology Department, UF/IFAS Extension |url=https://journals.flvc.org/edis/article/view/127864 |access-date=7 October 2025}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Phoridae Category:Brachycera subfamilies Category:Articles containing video clips Category:Long stubs with short prose