Sepsidae

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Family of flies

title: "Sepsidae" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["sepsidae", "brachycera-families", "articles-containing-video-clips"] description: "Family of flies" topic_path: "general/sepsidae" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sepsidae" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Family of flies ::

| image = Sepsis fulgens01.jpg | image_caption = Sepsis fulgens (lesser dung fly) | display_parents = 3 | taxon = Sepsidae | authority = Walker, 1833 | subdivision_ranks = Genera | subdivision = See text

The Sepsidae are a family of flies, commonly called the black scavenger flies or ensign flies. Over 300 species are described worldwide. They are usually found around dung or decaying plant and animal material. Many species resemble ants, having a "waist" and glossy black body. Many Sepsidae have a curious wing-waving habit made more apparent by dark patches at the wing end.

Many species have a very wide distribution, reflecting the coprophagous habit of most Sepsidae. Some species have been spread over large territories in association with livestock. Adult flies are found mostly on mammal excrement, including that of humans (less often on other rotting organic matter), where eggs are laid and larvae develop, and on nearby vegetation, carrion, fermenting tree sap, and shrubs and herbs.

Many Sepsidae apparently play an important biological role as decomposers of mammal and other animal excrement. Some species may have a limited hygienic importance because of their association with human feces. Others are useful tools in forensic entomology.

Description

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Sepsis_on_blade_of_grass.ogv" caption="''Sepsis'' sp. on grass (video, 59 sec)"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Sepsidae_01.webm" caption="Sepsidae mating dance, 4x-slow-motion"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Sepsidae_03.webm" caption="Sepsidae mating dance, 2x-slow-motion"] ::

For terms, see Morphology of Diptera.

Sepsids are slender flies that resemble minute, winged ants. They are usually black in color, sometimes lustrous, and sometimes with silvery hairs on the thorax. The head is rounded. Sepsids have one or more bristles at the posteroventral margin of the posterior spiracle of the thorax, a character that distinguishes the family from other acalyptrates. The postvertical bristles are divergent or sometimes absent. Up to three pairs of frontal bristles are seen. They have ocelli with ocellar bristles. Vibrissae and palpi are poorly developed. The front legs of the male often have extrusions, spurs, teeth, or other ornamentation. The tibia has a dorsal preapical bristle in most genera. The abdomen is usually constricted in the basal part.

The larva is slender, tapering at the front end, and smooth except for ventral creeping welts. The larva is amphipneustic: it has two pairs of spiracles, one toward the head and one at the tail. The bulbous posterior end with its pair of spiracles distinguishes it from the larvae of other acalyptrates.

The pupa is enclosed within a puparium.

Classification

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/CurranNAMDiptera312Sepsidae.jpg" caption="Sepsidae morphology"] ::

Genera include:

References

References

  1. Ang, Y. and R. Meier. (2010). [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3088448/ Five additions to the list of Sepsidae (Diptera) for Vietnam: ''Perochaeta cuirassa'' sp. n., ''Perochaeta lobo'' sp. n., ''Sepsis spura'' sp. n., ''Sepsis sepsi'' Ozerov, 2003 and ''Sepsis monostigma'' Thompson, 1869.] ''ZooKeys'' 70 41-56.
  2. (1996). "To the fauna and taxonomy of African Sepsidae (Diptera)". Russian Entomological Journal.
  3. (2004). "New genera and species of Sepsidae (Diptera)". Russian Entomological Journal.
  4. (1993). "Revisao da familia Sepsidae na regiao Neotropical. Iii. Os generos ''Palaeosepsis'' Duda, 1926, ''Archisepsis'' Gen. N. e ''Microsepsis'' Gen. N., Chave para os Generos Neotropicais (Diptera, Schizophora)". Iheringia, Série Zoologia.
  5. (1925). "Notes on Australian Diptera. No. vii.". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales.
  6. (1926). "Monographie der Sepsiden (Dipt.). I.". Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien.
  7. (1990). "New data on the fauna and taxonomy of the African Dipterans of the family Sepsidae (Diptera)". Vest. Zool..
  8. (1992). "New genus and three new species of sepsid flies (Diptera, Sepsidae) from Vietnam". Zoologicheskii Zhurnal.
  9. (1830). "Essai sur les myodaires". Mémoires presentés à l'Institut des Sciences, Lettres et Arts, par divers savants et lus dans ses assemblées: Sciences, Mathématiques et Physique.
  10. (1925). "Zur Systematik der Diptera Haplostomata. II. Fam. Sepsidae". Notulae Ent..
  11. (1830). "Systematische Beschreibung der bekannten europäische n zweiflugeligen Insekten". Sechster Theil. Schulz.
  12. (1992). "New data on the neotropical sepsids (Diptera Sepsidae)". Russian Entomological Journal.
  13. (1965). "Die Acalyptratae des Baltischen Bernsteins und ihre Bedeutung fur die Erforschung der phylogenetischen Entwicklung dieser Dipteren-Gruppe". Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde.
  14. (1810). "Specim. entomolog. novam Diptera disponendi methodum exhibens.". Berlingianis.
  15. (1987). "Two new genera of West Palaearctic Sepsidae (Diptera)". Entomologica Scandinavica.
  16. Macquart, P. J. M.. (1851). "Dipteres exotiques nouveaux ou peu connus. Suite du 4e supplement publie dans les memoires de 1849". Mémoires de la Société (Royale) des sciences, de l'agriculture et des arts à Lille.

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