Somatia is the sole genus of the acalyptrate brachyceran fly family Somatiidae. The genus includes about seven Neotropical species of small (3-5 mm long) black and yellow flies with a stout and rounded thorax having transverse suture. The legs are separated from the main body by an elongated post-coxal bridge. The broad abdomen is downcurved. The antenna are elbowed with the arista bipectinate. Somatiids resemble members of the Syringogastridae due to the enlarged pronotum and a postcoxal bridge but they have a petiolate abdomen.[1]
| Somatia | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Suborder: | Brachycera |
| Infraorder: | Muscomorpha |
| (unranked): | Eremoneura |
| (unranked): | Cyclorrhapha |
| Section: | Schizophora |
| Superfamily: | Diopsoidea |
| Family: | Somatiidae Hendel, 1935 |
| Genus: | Somatia Schiner, 1868 |
Adult Somatia have been found feeding on a dead caterpillar and aggregating on the extra-floral nectaries of Solanaceae,[2] Bignoniaceae and Passifloraceae.[1]
The placement of the group is doubtful, it is placed in the Diopsoidea but an incomplete phylogenetic analysis has suggested a closeness to the Agromyzidae.[3]
Species in the genus include:
References
edit- ^ a b Lonsdale, Owen (2020). "Family groups of Diopsoidea and Nerioidea (Diptera: Schizophora)—Definition, history and relationships". Zootaxa. 4735 (1): zootaxa.4735.1.1. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4735.1.1. PMID 32230232.
- ^ Carvalho-Filho, Fernando Da Silva (2017-04-28). "Aggregation of Somatia aestiva (Fabricius) (Diptera: Somatiidae) on leaves of Solanum stramonifolium Jacq". EntomoBrasilis. 10 (1): 54–56. doi:10.12741/ebrasilis.v10i1.657. ISSN 1983-0572.
- ^ Han, Ho-Yeon; Ro, Kyung-Eui (2005). "Molecular phylogeny of the superfamily Tephritoidea (Insecta: Diptera): New evidence from the mitochondrial 12S, 16S, and COII genes". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 34 (2): 416–430. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2004.10.017. PMID 15619452.