Diptera Chloropidae: India
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Diptera Chloropidae
Introduction
Chloropids are small flies belonging to Section Acalypteratae of the order Diptera. They are smooth, bristless flies, usually predominantly black or basically yellow with black to brown stripes and maculae. They are recognised by the presence of large. plate-like frontal triangle, parallel or convergent postvertical bristIes, sharply margined ridge on propleuron, often peculiar flexure of vein M3 + 4 at the middle of the discal cell and absence of anal cell.
Flies of the family may be observed almost anywhere in grasslands, marshes, moors, and low vegetation in forests, and are frequently collected in great numbers in fields of graminous plants. The larvae are mainly phytophagous or saprophagous, sometimes carnivorous, and rarely exoparasitic. The saprophagous forms feed especially on the grass from damages by other insects. Some of the phytophagous species are known pests of cereals, like rice and barley, and grasses in many regions, and some of the carnivorous species are important as predators of root aphids or eggmasses of poisonous spiders. The adult flies have functional mouthparts and feed on honey dew. Members of this family are frequently captured on flowers. Some, such as the 'eye fly' of the Orient (Siphunculina/unicola) and the 'eyegnats' or Hippelates flies of the New world, annoy man and other animals by feeding at wounds or external body openings and are of medical importance as vectors of certain eye diseases.
Historical Resume
The genera and species of Chloropidae were usually included under the genus Musea in family Muscidae (sens, lat) including the fust chloropid species Musca frit Linnaeus, 1758, in earlier works. In 1803 Chlorops Meigen was erected as the first separate Chloropid genus.'Pallen (1810) included the genera and species in family Micromyzides, but in 1820 he separated several as a new family Oscinides. This family grouping was generally not accepted, as we fmd Newman (1834) and Macquart (1835) placing various genera under different acalypterate families. But most of the earlier workers used the family name Oscinidae, following Pallen (1820), whereas later workers used the name Chloropidae, on the ground that Oscinis was a synonym of Chlorops.
Historical review and revision of the taxonomic work on Chloropidae were made with detailed explanations by Anderson (1963, 1977). The classification of the family in the early part of the present century was principally established by Becker (1910, 1911); Enderlein (1911), and Duda (1930, 1933) for the world; Duda (1934) and deMeijere (1916) for the Oriental Region; and Malloch for the Australian Region. Consequently, a little fewer than 300 genera were proposed. After the significant contributions by Sabrosky (1941, 1964 and 1980), with revisional work on many confused generic classification, the number of genera was reduced to nearly 200. As a result of the works of Nartshuk and Pedoseeva, especially their stress on post-abdominal structures, the objective recognition of the species in the Palaearctic Region has progressed rapidly. Phylogenetic considerations on the family, subfamilies, tribes and generic groups were recently presented by Andersson (1977) and Nartshuk (1977, 1987). Andersson (1977) reviewed 98 old world genera and subgenera from a phylogenetic angle, examined pleisomorphic and apomorphic characters, discussed phylogenetic relationships and proposed new subdivisions of tribes and genera. Nartshuk (1977, 1987) on the basis of 54 genera and 300 species of the family, in the Palaearctic Region elucidated the direction and tendency of evolutionary development of the genital organs.
Chloropidae has been traditionally and conveniently been divided into two subfamilies, Chloropinae and Oscinellinae, of which the frrst has long been accepted under its present name and scope. The second has passed under several names Oscinellinae and Palaeoscinellinae (Duda, 1930), and Oscinellinae, Siphonellopsinae and Heringinnae (Enderleio, 1934). Nartshuk (1987) proposed the superfamily name Chloropidea, separated members of Siphomellopsinae with 8 genera and treated them under family Siphonellopsidae (Duda, 1932) and treated the rest of the genera under four subfamilies Rhodesiellinae, Oscinellinae, Hippelatinae and Chloropinae, under family Chloropidae. She recognized 21 tribes and 141 genera under these groups, besides 2 genera AragarQ and Merochlorops. Of these, all the four subfamilies, 19 tribes and 70 genera are recorded from the Oriental Region, in addition of some genera of Nartshuk's family Siphonellopsidae.
Till 1970, only 23 species under 15 genera were known to occur in India. But within the last two decades all the Indian States except for Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar and Assam and Union Territory of Lakshadweep and Minicoy islands, have been surveyed, species were collected and studies have been carried out.
Studies from Different Environs
Faunistic surveys, were made in 21 Indian States and all Union territories, except Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands. Most of the different ecosystems, starting with the Alpine zones of the Himalaya and ending with the shores of Kanyakumari, have been covered during the various surveys by parties and collection of the group has been made from various ecological niches.
Estimation or Taxa
Of the more than 2100 species of Chloropidae, spread under 4 subfamilies, 21 tribes and 141 genera from the whole world, all the subfamilies, 19 tribes and 70 genera are known from the Oriental Region. Of these, all the four subfamilies, 10 tribes, 15 genera and 23 species were known to be represented in India, 6111970. Since then 9 more tribes, 70 genera and more than 270 species have been collected from India. •This includes 5 genera and 82 species new to science. Studies on 45 genera and approximately 150 species are in progress. The studies 'when completed are expected to more than double the number of species known from the Oriental Region so far.
But for some stray references, practically not much work on the taxonomy of Chloropidae of the Oriental Region was done during the period from 1940 to 197Q, and almost nothing on species of the Indian subcontinent. In recent years Kanmya (1983) has been working on some Oriental species available in its eastern belt. Cherian (1976, 1977, 1984, 1989, 1990) •has been studying the family from India and adjacent countries.
Expertise India
In ZSI
P. T. Cherian, Southern Regional Station, Zoological Survey of India, 100, Santhome .High Road, Madras-600 028.
Abroad
C. W. Sabrosky, Emeritus Scientist, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. 20560 (U.S.A.).
K. Kanmiya, Biological Laboratory, Dept. of General Education, School of Medicine, Kurume University, Kurume, Fukuoka 830, (Japan). E. P. Nartshuk, Zoological Institute, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Leningrad, (USSR). H. Andersson, Swedish Museum of Natural History, C/o Dept of Zoology, Helgonavagen 3, S-22362, Lund (Sweden).
C. H. Paganetta, Museum De Zoologia, Universidade De Sao Panto, Avenida Nazareth, 481, Caixa Postal, 7172, 01000 -Sao Paulo (Brazil).
Selected References
Andersson, H. 1977. Taxonomic and phylogenetic studies on Chloropidae (Diptera) with special referepce to old world genera. Ent.Scand. Suppl., 8: 1-200.
Becker, T. 1911. Chloropidae. Eine monographische studie. iii Tell Die Indo-Australische Region. Ann. Mus. Natt. Hungarici,9 : 35-170.
Cherian, P. T. 1989. Some new genera of Oriental Chloropidae (Diptera). Oriental Ins., 23: 219¬ 229.
Kanmiya, K. 1983. A systematic study of the Japanese Chloropidae (Diptera). Mem. Ent. Soc., Washington, 11 : 1-370.
Nartshuk, E. P. 1977. Comparative morphological studies on the abdomen and genitalic organs of the grass-flies (Diptera: Chloropidae). Trudy Vsesoy Ent. Obsh., 58 : 87-118".
Sabrosky, C. W. 1977. A catalog ofDiptera of the Oriental Region. Family Chloropidae, 3: 277¬ 319.
Sabrosky, C. W. 1980. New genera and new combinations in Nearctic Chloropidae.(Diptera). Proc. Ent. Soc. Washington, 82 (3): 412-429.
