Hippoboscidae

A Dictionary of Zoology | 1999 | 698 words | Copyright

Hippoboscidae (order Diptera, suborder Cyclorrapha) Family of aberrant flies which lack wings and are usually flattened dorsoventrally. The head is sunk into a groove in the thorax, and the mouth-parts are directed forwards, as a proboscis adapted for piercing. The antennae are inserted into a depression, and the eyes are round or oval. The adults are ‘tough-skinned’, an adaptation to life as ectoparasites of large mammals or birds. Larvae are produced by the females in a mature state, and they pupate almost immediately. Some, e.g. Lepoptena species, are winged as a means of dispersal, but cast their wings once a suitable host is found. More than 200 species are known so far.

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MICHAEL ALLABY. "Hippoboscidae." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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MICHAEL ALLABY. "Hippoboscidae." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-Hippoboscidae.html

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