DIPTERA > BRACHYCERA | Higher Diptera

MUSCOMORPHA > SCHIZOPHORA > Acalypratae > Nerioidea > Micropezidae (10 species)

(subfamilies: Calobatinae, Micropezinae and Taeniapterinae)

A small family of long-bodied flies with narrow wings and very long legs, with individual species varying greatly in size from a little over 3mm long up to nearly 16mm. Adults can be found on flowers, leaves, rotting fruit or excrement where they prey on small insects and other invertebrates.

Family characters are given as very slender, small to large flies with long, thin legs, forelegs shorter; head small and elongated or rounded; small antennae with bare or pubescent arista; ocelli present, but ocellar bristles absent; vibrissae absent; postvertical bristles are divergent or absent; interfrontal bristles absent; up to three pairs of frontal bristles, if present, curving forward or backward; wings clear or infuscated with a smoky pattern; costa continuous; vein Sc complete, its ending in the costa close to R1. crossvein BM-Cu present or absent (Micropeza corrigiolata and Micropeza lateralis); abdomen long and narrow; tibia lacking a dorsal preapical bristle.

There are currently five listed genera Calobata, Cnodacophora, Neria, Micropeza and Rainieria, although I believe that the structure may be under review as one, possibly even two, are not recognised by some authors.

The individual featured here was partially identified as Calobatinae, Neria sp. through the UK Diptera FB group and then, subsequently, confirmed as Neria cibaria. It is very similar to Neria commutata, but can be distinguished by the frons being red-yellow, including the posterior half up to the black ocellar triangle, unlike Neria commutata which is black in the posterior half. From the ocellar triangle dense white dusted areas extend rearwards onto the occiput. The species is common and widely distributed.