Big-headed fly
| Pipunculidae Temporal range: Ypresian - Present |
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| Verrallia aucta, Chalarinae | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Clade: | Euarthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Superfamily: | Syrphoidea |
| Family: | Pipunculidae |
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Pipunculidae is a family of flies (Diptera) commonly termed big-headed flies, a reference to the large (holoptic) eyes, which cover nearly the entire head. The family is found worldwide and more than 1300 species have been described.
The larvae of Pipunculidae develop as parasitoids almost exclusively in Auchenorrhyncha, the exception being the genus Nephrocerus, whose hosts are adult Tipulidae (crane flies). The larvae develop rapidly within the crane flies before pupating in the soil. In all pipunculids there are only two larval stages. Some species are used as biological control agents in rice fields.
Taxonomy as shown at the Tree of life, with modification based on Kehlmaier, Dierick and Skevington (2014).
Subfamily Chalarinae
Subfamily Nephrocerinae
Subfamily †Protonephrocerinae
Subfamily Pipunculinae
Typical wing venation of Pipunculidae
Metanephrocerus belgardeae, Protonephrocerinae
Nephrocerus scutellatus,
Nephrocerinae
Eudorylas ruralis, Eudorylini, Pipunculinae
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