Africa Wild

Fruit Fly Sosiopsila metadacus
Family: Tephritidae Subfamily: Trypetinae


Kruger

Tephritidae, true fruit flies, is one of two fly families referred to as "fruit flies", the other family being Drosophilidae. Tephritidae does not include the biological model organisms of the genus Drosophila (in the family Drosophilidae), which is often called the "common fruit fly". There are nearly 5,000 described species of tephritid fruit fly, categorized in almost 500 genera. The taxonomic diversity of this single family of two-winged flies is far greater than that of mammals. Description, recategorization, and genetic analysis are constantly changing the taxonomy of this family. Tephritidae are sometimes called peacock flies and are a family of attractive picture-winged flies. They are almost all phytophagous, and include numerous pests of fruit and vegetable crops, as well as species useful for the control of weeds.

Sosiopsila
Wing hyaline, except for a narrow brown costal band and a prominent brown spot in upper apex of wing; apex of cell Cu vertical or nearly so, no lobe at apex; 2 pairs inferior fronto-orbitals.

There are 2 species of Sosiopsila in South Africa, metadacus Speiser and rotunda Munro.

Distribution
Cameroon, Malawi, Moçambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa


http://www.diptera.info/photogallery.php

Lauxaniid Fly Homoneura rhodesi
Family: Lauxaniidae

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Garden in Johannesburg

Description
A small rather plump fly with large red compound eyes. Length 4.5 mm. Rusty reddish yellow. Strong bristles above the eyes. The mesonotum bears a pair of broad reddish-brown stripes. Abdomen yellowish, with a median row of brown spots apically but without lateral spots. The wings are cinereous hyaline, marked with spots along the veins.

Links: THE AFRICAN LAUXANIIDAE (DIPTERA) BY C. H. CURRAN

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Garden in Johannesburg

Tachinid Fly Linnaemya sp.
Family: Tachinidae; Subfamily: Tachininae; Tribe: Linnaemyini




Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa

Description of Linnaemya
Linnaemya includes a large number of species showing diversity in many ways but all agreeing in having pilose (haired) eyes, distinct ocellar bristles, moderately wide cheeks, projecting oral margin and long antennae, the third segment varying in width and more or less protruding
mouth margin. There are usually three pairs of postsutural dorsocentrals, but a few of the species have four. The legs are usually reddish, black in a few cases, the tarsi varying from red to black. Wings variable in color, hyaline, brown, gray or variegated; third vein with several basal bristles. Abdomen oval or elongate oval, with or without discal bristles on the intermediate segments, rarely with some short, aculeate spines. The posterior forceps of the male genitalia are fused and, along with the outer forceps, vary in width and shape.

The best means of separating the species is by a study of the male genitalia. It will be found that forms resembling each other rather closely have different genitalia and that other and more accessible characters parallel the genitalic differences, so that it is possible to associate the sexes.

Almost 200 species of the large genus Linnaemya are known to date. The large and robust flies (8-15 mm body length) are parasitoids of Lepidoptera larvae (mostly Noctuidae).


http://www.diptera.info/forum/viewthrea ... pid=276714
http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/b ... sequence=1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4829880/

Red-headed Fly Bromophila caffra (Rooikopvlieg)
Family: Platystomatidae

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Crocodile Bridge Camp, Kruger National Park

© Dindingwe

Description
A 13 - mm - long fly of somewhat daunting appearance: it is dark metallic - blue in colour and has large red eyes
These flies are sluggish and slow moving, usually sitting in exposed positions and reluctant to take to the air, they often hang in clusters from low tree branches. Often found in aggregations.

Distribution
It is found in Eastern and Southern Africa.

Links: Beetles In The Bush

Family Chironomidae (Non-biting Midges)

The Chironomidae is a cosmopolitan family of small, delicate flies occurring in all zoogeographical regions of the world including Antarctica. The immature stages of most species occur in freshwater, but many terrestrial or marine species are known. Many species superficially resemble mosquitoes, but they lack the elongated mouthparts of the Culicidae. They often "dance" in large swarms over water or lawns. Wings long and narrow, without scales (wings of mosquitoes have scales). Midges are extremely abundant in all habitats, small, with humped thorax, and long front legs, males with long very hairy (plumose) antennae. Front tarsi often very long. Wing tip without a straight vein reaching margin between two branched veins. Easily confused with mosquitoes, but mouthparts are poorly developed, but Chirinomids do not bite.

There are 28 endemic afrotropical genera or subgenera. Most of these genera are, however, monotypic or contain very few species. Seven subfamilies (Tanypodinae, Podonominae, Aphroteniinae, Telmatogetoninae, Diamesinae, Orthocladiinae, Chironominae) and 99 genera occur in South Africa.

Links: Checklist: The Non-biting Midges (Diptera: Chironomidae) of South Africa

Non-biting Midge
Family: Chironomidae

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Garden in Johannesburg

Family Culicidae (Mosquitoes)

Mosquitoes are a family of small, midge-like flies: the Culicidae. Although a few species are harmless or even useful to humanity, the females of most species are ectoparasites whose tube-like mouthparts (called a proboscis) pierce the hosts' skin to suck the blood. Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water. The female mosquito requires a blood meal in order to have enough protein to lay eggs. Mosquitoes can carry various diseases, the most virulent in Africa being malaria which kills over 1.5 million people in Africa annually, most of them children.

Mosquitoes are slender, long-legged insects that are easily recognised by their long proboscis and the presence of scales on most parts of the body. Larvae are distinguished from other aquatic insects by the absence of legs, the presence of a distinct head bearing mouth brushes and antennae, a bulbous thorax that is wider than the head and abdomen, posterior anal papillae and either a pair of respiratory openings (subfamily Anophelinae) or an elongate siphon (subfamily Culicinae) borne near the end of the abdomen. Mosquitoes are usually, and most reliably, identified as final (fourth) instar larvae and adults.

Classification:
Subfamily: Anophelinae (40 species in southern Africa).
Genus: Anopheles. Transmit the parasite Plasmodium which causes malaria.
Subfamily: Culicinae (174 species in southern Africa). Genera occurring in southern Africa:
Genus: Aedeomyia
Genus: Aedes. Species of Aedes are major vectors of viral diseases including Chikungunya and Dengue.
Genus: Coquillettidia
Genus: Culex. Some species are important vectors of the diseases including West Nile and Rift Valley Fever.
Genus: Culiseta
Genus: Eretmapodites
Genus: Ficalbia
Genus: Malaya
Genus: Mansonia
Genus: Mimomyia
Genus: Uranotaenia
Subfamily: Toxorhynchitinae
Genus: Toxorhynchites

Bush Mosquito, Yellow Fever Mosquito Aedes aegypti
Family Culicidae. Subfamily Culicinae. Tribe Aedini.

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Female

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Male, Garden in Johannesburg

Aedes species are typical small mosquitoes. They usually have black and white stripe markings on their body and legs. They usually bite only during the day.

Description
Aedes aegypti can be recognized by white markings on legs and a marking in the form of a lyre on the thorax. The adult is a small to medium-sized mosquito, approximately 4 to 7 mm. Adult yellow fever mosquitoes resemble the Asian tiger mosquito with a slight difference in size and thorax patterns. Aedes aegypti adults have white scales on the dorsal (top) surface of the thorax that form the shape of a violin or lyre, while adult Aedes albopictus have a white stripe down the middle of the top of the thorax. Each tarsal segment of the hind legs possesses white basal bands, forming what appear to be stripes. The abdomen is generally dark brown to black, but also may possess white scales.
Females are larger than males, and can be distinguished by small palps tipped with silver or white scales. Males have plumose antennae, whereas females have sparse short hairs. When viewed under a microscope, male mouthparts are modified for nectar feeding, and female mouthparts are modified for blood feeding. The proboscis of both sexes is dark, and the clypeus (segment above the proboscis) has two clusters of white scales. The tip of the abdomen comes to a point, which is characteristic of all Aedes species.
In South Africa Aedes aegypti is a single polymorphic species. Populations of Aedes aegypti may vary in their behaviour, morphology, ecology, physiology and genetic. One form has pale scaling on the first abdominal tergite. There is another form, which never has any pale scales on the first tergite and a markedly blackish appearance and is confined to Africa south of the Sahara. There are anthropophilic and non-anthropophilic populations. Some populationas don't dispaly man-biting behavior.

Distribution
Aedes aegypti is a cosmo-tropical mosquito. The mosquito originated in Africa but is now found in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world.

Biology
While both male and female mosquitoes suck plant juices, the females also need blood for the maturation of their eggs. This is typical for all mosquitoes: only females suck blood, males are vegetarians. Yellow Fever Mosquitoes are very host-specific and feed nearly exclusively on humans. The eggs are normally laid in stagnant waters, both natural as well as artificial ones. Even thrown-away cans, plastic-cups, or old tyres with just a little rainwater are accepted as breeding sites. This is why Aedes is able to multiply very well in towns and cities.
Aedes aegypti is a vector of different arboviruses (i.e. Arthropod borne viruses) which are often pathogenic to humans. Well-known examples are diseases such as yellowfever and dengue.

Links: Zootaxa, Diptera, key to Culicidae (mosquitoes)

Family Tipulidae (Crane Flies)

The family Tipulidae is a large family of medium to large (body length 10-25 mm) flies. A number are wingless. Adults can be recognized by the presence of two complete anal veins in the wing, the lack of ocelli, and the presence of a V-shaped transverse suture on the mesothorax. They are typically slender-bodied flies, with long antennae, narrow, elongate wings, legs long and slender, breaking readily at suture between trochanter and femur.
Adult crane flies feed on nectar or they do not feed at all; once they become adults, most crane fly species exist as adults only to mate and die.
Larvae (leatherjackets) live in water or moist soil and lawns.
The life cycle of crane flies usually consists of a brief egg stage (1-2 weeks), 4 larval stages, and a short pupal stage (1-2 weeks) before emergence of the short-lived adult.
The Tipulidae are closely related to the Limoniidae, although they can usually be distinguished by the way the wings are held at rest. Limoniids usually hold/fold the wings along the back of the body, whereas tipulids usually hold them out at right angles.

Crane Fly
Suborder Nematocera. Superfamily Tipuloidea. Family Tipulidae

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Johannesburg